03 Jul OPEN LETTER TO THE G20 – Global Health Innovation and Sustainable Development
Dear G20 Leaders and Sherpas
We are a group of like-minded organisations inspired by the German Government’s prioritisation of global health during its G20 Presidency. Formed by a core group* focused on highlighting the role of global health innovation in, for and by the G20, our inclusive coalition continues to grow and build on the momentum created during the first half of 2017.
Following the G20-focused high-level roundtable in Berlin on 28th April 2017, “Research for Impact and the G20: How can global health innovation drive sustainable development?” experts and stakeholders in attendance called on G20 leaders to play a driving role in promoting sustainable and innovative solutions to the growing crises of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), poverty-related and neglected diseases (PRNDs) and pandemic preparedness and response. Outputs from the roundtable include a Call to Action, signed by over 100 individuals and organisations, which was sent to the G20 Ministers of Health-, Development- and Research and Heads of State, and a meeting Rapporteur’s Report, which outlined the presentations and discussions which took place on that day.
As the G20 continues to position the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as a key priority and the “G20 Action Plan on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” is adapted to reflect updated priorities, we welcome the “Berlin Declaration of the G20 Health Ministers: Together Today for a Healthy Tomorrow”. We agree that the G20 must lead by example in areas such as global health crisis management, Health Systems Strengthening (HSS) and AMR and subscribe to the focus in the Declaration on R&D for new and improved quality medicines, vaccines and diagnostics.
We appreciate the mention of several from our core group in the Health Ministers Declaration (Unitaid, CARB-X, TB Alliance, and CEPI) and the explicit mention of product development partnerships (PDPs).
We recommend that the G20:
1. Ensure that HIV, TB, Malaria, and NTDs, are included as key pathogens in urgent need of R&D under AMR.
2. Endorse the issues underscored in the Declaration and discussed at the Berlin roundtable, including the leadership of WHO in coordination and prioritization; the need for sustainable funding; the importance of Target Product Profiles (TPPs); HSS—including regulatory strengthening and facilitating access;—and effective international R&D coordination, monitoring, evaluation and data.
3. Increase and mobilize political and financial support for global health R&D and encourage private sector and philanthropic organizations to address the inter-related issues of AMR, pandemic preparedness/response and PRNDs, as stated in the Call to Action.
4. Together with partners, continue to urge G20 Ministers to endorse our position and build on our collective message to ensure the continued prioritisation of health in, and by, the G20, to recognise the critical role of innovation, and support the prominence of health in the upgraded G20 Compact with Africa.
5. Become a regular forum for ministerial dialogue on action required to tackle serious health threats to global security and economic development and encourage G20 Leaders to reflect the critical importance of the Berlin Health Ministers Declaration in the Hamburg Leaders’ Declaration.
We believe that with effective public private partnerships in global health, more rapid progress can be made in a shorter period to achieve several of the goals in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. As the G20 affirms its role in strengthening the political support for long-established and recent initiatives and continues to view its value through multiple lenses including those of economy and security, we stand by the commitment of G20 Health Ministers to continue this dialogue on global health under the Argentinian G20 Presidency.
We believe that with effective public private partnerships in global health, more rapid progress can be made in a shorter period to achieve several of the goals in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. As the G20 affirms its role in strengthening the political support for long-established and recent initiatives and continues to view its value through multiple lenses including those of economy and security, we stand by the commitment of G20 Health Ministers to continue this dialogue on global health under the Argentinian G20 Presidency.
Background and Objective of the G20 Global Health Innovation Initiative
The core group that co-hosted the Berlin roundtable “Research for Impact and the G20: How can global health innovation drive sustainable development?” is well placed to continue to highlight the role of innovation, in all forms. We continue to welcome additional members to our diverse coalition as we move this dialogue forward. The roundtable involved high-level participation by representatives of the German Bundestag, public-private partnerships, representatives of countries, including several from the G20, the private sector, academia, NGOs, the African Union, the World Health Organisation Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (WHO-TDR), the European Commission, together with representatives of the German Federal Ministry for Research and Education (BMBF) and the Business20 (B20) Sherpa. The roundtable discussions are summarised in the Rapporteur’s Report.
We will continue to promote an open exchange with the Official Engagement Groups of the G20 and view the work of the B20, Science20 (S20), Civil20 (C20) in health as having high value. We are particularly appreciative of the strong relationship we have established with the B20 and endorse the recommendations of the B20 Health Initiative. We additionally endorse the Think20 (T20) policy brief “SDGs and health: A vision for public policy”.
In our “Call to Action” we formulated four recommendations leading up to the G20 Health Ministers Summit. Over 100 public and private stakeholders supported these recommendations and strongly agreed that the G20 should become a regular forum for ministerial dialogue on action required to tackle these serious health threats to global security and economic development.
As global health advocates, we are appreciative of the impact of our initiative and we see high value in building on this with your support. We wish you a successful meeting.
Signed by Organisations:
Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC), PATH, CEPI, Sabin Vaccine Institute, Unitaid, Medicines for Malaria Venture, Sovereign Strategy, TB Alliance, Columbia University, International Rescue Committee, AMR Centre, IntraHealth, AERAS, Treatment Action Group, International Vaccine Institute, Washington Global Health Alliance, FIND, Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT), TuBerculosis Vaccine Initiative (TBVI), King Saud University, Policy Cures Research, Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute (WITS RHI), American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene (ASTMH), The Amsterdam Institute of Global Health and Development (aighd), International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, The Leprosy Mission, The London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), BioMérieux, The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), International Coalition for Trachoma Control (ICTC), MedTech Europe
Signed by Individuals:
Jeremy Lefroy MP, UK Member of Parliament, Chair of the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank and International Monetary Fund
MdB Kordula Schulz-Asche, Member of the German Bundestag
John Bowis, Former UK Health Minister, Hon President Health First Europe
Rajae El Aouad, MD, MSc, MHPM, Member of the Hassan II Academy of Science and technology of Morocco
Councillor Julie Donoghue, Rushcliffe Borough Council, UK and member of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases
Professor Janet Hemingway, Director of Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine; Chair in Insect Molecular Biology
Dra. Rosa María Herrera Torres, MD TB survivor
*The Global Alliance for TB Drug Development (TB Alliance), Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), the Sabin Vaccine Institute, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), PATH, Sovereign Strategy, the Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC), the Global Health Innovative Technology (GHIT) Fund and UNITAID.