Africa has been overlooked when it comes to research and development of life-saving medical commodities, including COVID-19 vaccines. Free market demand and supply principles will not work on their own without an equitable access dimension. The Access to Medicine Foundation is important for accountability – tracking how and where healthcare companies live up to their commitments; as well as encouraging them to do better – in bridging gaps in equitable access to health products and achieving universal health coverage.
Dr Githinji Gitahi
Group CEO, Amref Health Africa
I’ve been impressed by the Access to Medicine Index. It presents well-balanced stakeholder views on good practices for the pharmaceutical industry and it provides clear standards against which the performance of individual companies can be judged.
Mary Robinson
Chair of the Elders, First woman President of Ireland, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
This independent Antimicrobial Resistance Benchmark is a huge step forward and shines a light on the pharmaceutical industry’s progress in tackling drug-resistant infections. It can help pave the way for a transparent learning culture where best practice is shared, progress celebrated, and gaps where further work is needed are identified.
Dame Sally Davies
Professor Dame Sally Davies, UK Special Envoy on Antimicrobial Resistance and Master of Trinity College, Cambridge
The Access to Medicine Foundation’s research sheds light on issues that would otherwise remain underreported when it comes to the pharma industry and access to medicine and vaccines. This research informs priority setting and policy interventions based on the identified gaps.
John-Arne Røttingen
Ambassador for Global Health, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
When I talk to executives from pharmaceutical companies they tell me that they want to do more for neglected diseases, but they at least need to get credit for it. The Access to Medicine Index does exactly that.
Bill Gates
Co-chair and Trustee, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
There is more that we can do and are doing. This year, the Index is tougher than ever. It challenges us to think harder about how we drive innovation and enable access to our products. This is a challenge that we are ready and willing to take on. We will continue to push ourselves to go further and faster to make sure our medicines and vaccines reach more people.
Sir Andrew Witty
Former CEO, GlaxoSmithKline plc
AXA investors manager joined in May a group of funders of the access to medicine foundation, becoming the first investor funder. We were convinced at that point already that collective action would be absolutely essential to address the pandemic, facilitate access to vaccines and then prepare for the future, and the Foundation was an excellent channel for this.
Gilles Moëc
Chief Economist AXA Group, France
The pharmaceutical industry’s role in tackling drug-resistant infections extends beyond developing new treatments. The AMR Benchmark makes clear where companies are making commendable efforts to tackle this urgent global health problem – and it shows where further effort must now be focused. Wellcome is committed to working with industry and governments to answer the questions this report raises, by supporting new product development, and helping ensure antibiotics, old and new, are used appropriately and are available to all patients who need them.
Sir Jeremy Farrar
Director, the Wellcome Trust
“We will not end the [COVID-19] pandemic anywhere until we end it everywhere. The more the virus circulates, the more opportunities it has to mutate in ways that could make vaccines less effective. And the longer the pandemic drags on, the longer trade and business will be disrupted and the longer the global recovery will take. Ending the pandemic, restoring confidence and rebooting the global economy requires all of us, in the public and private sectors, pulling in the same direction. I thank the Access to Medicine Foundation for adding its voice to the chorus demanding vaccine equity.”
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Director-General, World Health Organization
The Access to Medicine Index is an effective tool for incentivising companies to develop new vaccines to fight emerging infectious diseases, including coronavirus. When companies receive credit in the Access to Medicine Index, they are encouraged to work collaboratively with CEPI and the public sector and thereby contribute to advancing society's fight against these deadly diseases.
Richard Hatchett
CEO, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI)
Because of the feedback and benchmark, the ATM Index highlighted the fact that we were less successful with increasing access in LICs compared to other countries. As we were redesigning our overall affordable access strategy, this helped us adjust the focus of our efforts. The recent launch of the new Sanofi Global Health unit, with a scope of 40 LMICs, is a key element of Sanofi’s commitment towards patients in these geographies. The ATM Index continues to help us mobilising our leadership and colleagues
Thibaud Lefort
Head of Operations, Sanofi Global Health
"The pandemic has exposed the urgent need to expand the Access the Medicine Foundation’s proven model of engaging pharmaceutical companies to the oxygen industry. The big oxygen companies all need robust, long-term access to oxygen strategies, with performance indicators that can highlight best practices and areas where more attention is needed. The Foundation can help oxygen companies increase their impact during the pandemic, and long after the pandemic is over, by strengthening health systems to do a better job of treating tens of millions of hypoxemic patients each year.”
