The Access to Medicine Foundation joins 77th World Health Assembly

The Access to Medicine Foundation is set to attend the 77th WHA in Geneva, Switzerland. The Foundation will have the chance to connect with specialists and representatives across various industries and will join multiple events and meetings, engaging in dialogues surrounding healthcare and medicine. Furthermore, representatives from the Foundation will speak at key events.

The Foundation's team will include: 

• Jayasree K. Iyer, Chief Executive Officer 

• Pauline L'Hénaff, Head of Industry Engagement 

• Sadhavi Chauhan, Government Engagement and Policy Manager

The team will discuss topics central to the Access to Medicine Foundation’s work and will present findings and insights from some of our programmes and latest publications: 

• Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) programme 

In September 2024, AMR Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) will be addressed for the second time during a High-Level Meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), focused on accelerating political action on AMR based on the One Health approach.  

In the lead-up to the Meeting, the Foundation has released a briefing for delegates that sets out what they should prioritise when engaging the pharmaceutical industry in combatting AMR. This will be shared with heads of state, government ministers and political leaders as they discuss effective approaches to addressing AMR at a local, national and global level in relation to funding, policy development and multi-sectorial collaboration. 

Shortly before the start of WHA, the Foundation will release a publication on antimicrobial R&D, specifically focusing on what can be done to save lives and tackle AMR with what little is currently in the pipeline. Given the timing of the publication, the Foundation's team will have an opportunity to share the freshly minted insights from the report at WHA. 

• Diabetes care programme 

Within the realm of diabetes care, the Foundation’s focus has been focused on sharing findings and recommendations from our work and ensuring that they reach stakeholders with the power to make impact.  

In April 2024, the Foundation’s Diabetes Care Programme hosted its third Amsterdam Session, titled “Securing worldwide access to diabetes care by 2030: Spotlight on strategies and solutions to close the equity gap”. The event convened representatives from leading insulin and glucose self-monitoring device manufacturers, experts from global health organisations, procurement agencies, and government bodies, as well as people living with diabetes to discuss practical steps to widen the scope and scale of access to the diabetes continuum of care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).  

The Foundation released a meeting report in May, setting out key actionable steps for companies and stakeholders to take in advancing access to diabetes care in LMICs.   

• Access to Medicine Index programme 

This year, the Foundation has been working on developing the ninth iteration of the Access to Medicine Index, scheduled for publication in November. As set out in the 2024 Access to Medicine Index Methodology, the upcoming Index will feature an enhanced focus on patient reach, aiming to provide a more thorough assessment of companies' effectiveness in delivering essential healthcare products to people living in LMICs.  

The Index will also outline opportunities for companies to expand their initiatives, including measures to improve access to products for diseases and conditions with widespread impact in LMICs. 

Engagements at WHA

The Access to Medicine Foundation's team will be at the following side events at WHA-

• Expert Roundtable- AMR, looking towards UNGA and beyond, organised by the World Medical Association and the Global AMR R&D Hub

• Diabetes and well-being: more than access to care, organised by the International Diabetes Federation

• The return on investment for R&D; what is the health and economic impact of investing in global health R&D? organised by Policy Cures Research

• Public-Private Partnerships to improve health equity in LMICs: A Roundtable about best practices and how to measure impact organised by City Cancer Challenge

About WHA

The WHA, as the decision-making body of WHO, gathers delegates from all WHO Member States to establish the organisation’s policies, appoint the Director-General, supervise financial policies, and review and approve the proposed programme budget. It also provides a platform for discussing global health challenges and shaping international health agendas. For more information, click here.