Webinar: Challenges of expanding access to health products in the fight against neglected tropical diseases

On 20 January 2022, Margo Warren, Head of Policy for the Access to Medicine Foundation, will speak at a webinar series organised by the Japan Alliance of Global Neglected Tropical Diseases and funded by the Global Health Innovative Technology Fund.

The webinar series is titled "Challenges of expanding access to health products in the fight against NTDs" and addresses Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), which prevail among the hard-to-reach populations in the world. To protect vulnerable populations from NTDs, developing essential health products is necessary, but this practice is insufficient without providing access to these products.

The webinar series also considers how Japanese actors might be able to contribute to addressing some of these access challenges.

During the fifth session of the series, "Nudging the Industry: Visualizing Pharmaceutical Companies' Efforts," Margo Warren will discuss what the Access to Medicine Foundation considers key access barriers and how the Foundation has moved the pharmaceutical industry to increase access to essential medicines, with specific reference to Japanese companies.

Margo will also discuss how the investment community uses the findings of the Foundation. She will be joined by Shinichi Kohguchi, Senior Stewardship Officer at Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Asset Management Co., Ltd.

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Asset Management Co., Ltd. is a signatory on the Foundation's Access to Medicine Index Investor Statement. Shinichi Kohguchi will provide insights on how the company views and uses the Access to Medicine Index.

The session is moderated by Kota Yoshioka and Isaac T. Chikwanha.

Video of the session: "Nudging the Industry: Visualizing Pharmaceutical Companies' Efforts"