E-drug: G8 statement on health
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This is the section on health in the G8 statement.
"Ellen 't Hoen"
Health
Health is the key to prosperity. Good health contributes directly to
economic growth whilst poor health drives poverty. Infectious and
parasitic diseases, most notably HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria, as well as
childhood diseases and common infections, threaten to reverse decades
of development and to rob an entire generation of hope for a better
future. Only through sustained action and coherent international
co-operation to fully mobilise new and existing medical, technical
and financial resources, can we strengthen health delivery systems
and reach beyond traditional approaches to break the vicious cycle of
disease and poverty.
We have committed substantial resources to fighting infectious and
parasitic diseases. As a result, together with the international
community, we have successfully arrived at the final stage of polio
and guinea worm eradication, and have begun to control onchocerciasis.
But we must go much further and we believe that the conditions are
right for a step change in international health outcomes. We have
widespread agreement on what the priority diseases are and basic
technologies to tackle much of the health burden are in place. In
addition there is growing political leadership and recognition in the
most afflicted countries that health is central to economic
development. We particularly welcome the success of the recent
HIV/AIDS conference held in Durban and the importance attached to
tackling HIV/AIDS by African leaders, donors, international financial
institutions and the private sector.
We therefore commit ourselves to working in strengthened partnership
with governments, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other
international organisations, industry (notably pharmaceutical
companies), academic institutions, NGOs and other relevant actors in
civil society to deliver three critical UN targets:
- Reduce the number of HIV/AIDS-infected young people by 25% by
2010 (UN Secretary-General Report to the General Assembly on
27/3/2000);
- Reduce TB deaths and prevalence of the disease by 50% by 2010 (WHO
Stop TB Initiative);
- Reduce the burden of disease associated with malaria by 50% by 2010
(WHO Roll Back Malaria).
In order to achieve this ambitious agenda our partnership must aim to cover:
- Mobilising additional resources ourselves, and calling on the MDBs to
expand their own assistance to the maximum extent possible;
- Giving priority to the development of equitable and effective health
systems, expanded immunisation, nutrition and micro-nutrients and the
prevention and treatment of infectious diseases;
- Promoting political leadership through enhanced high-level dialogue
designed to raise public awareness in the affected countries;
- Committing to support innovative partnerships, including with the NGOs,
the private sector and multilateral organisations;
- Working to make existing cost-effective interventions, including key
drugs, vaccines, treatments and preventive measures more universally
available and affordable in developing countries;
- Addressing the complex issue of access to medicines in developing
countries, and assessing obstacles being faced by developing countries in
that regard;
- Strengthening co-operation in the area of basic research and development
on new drugs, vaccines and other international public health goods.
We note with encouragement new commitments in these areas. We
strongly welcome the World Bank's commitment to triple International
Development Association (IDA) financing for HIV/AIDS, malaria, and
TB. We also welcome the announcements to expand assistance in this
area made by bilateral donors.
In addition, we will convene a conference in the autumn this year in Japan
to deliver agreement on a new strategy to harness our commitments. The
conference should look to define the operations of this new
partnership, the areas of priority and the timetable for action.
Participation of developing country partners and other stakeholders
will be essential. We will take stock of progress at the Genoa Summit
next year and will also work with the UN to organise a conference in
2001 focusing on strategies to facilitate access to AIDS treatment
and care.
Ellen `t Hoen
MSF Access campaign
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