Access To Medicine Foundation

Often searched

Index ranking

Vacancies

10 year analysis

  • Healthcare inequity
    • How big is the problem?
    • How we drive change
    • Our story
    • Our impact
    • How big is the problem?
    • How we drive change
    • Our story
    • Our impact
  • Become a catalyst
    • Investors
    • Companies
    • Government & policymakers
    • Events & engagements
    • Investors
    • Companies
    • Government & policymakers
    • Events & engagements
  • Sectors and research
    • R&D-based pharma companies
    • Medical gas companies
    • Generic medicine manufacturers
    • Diagnostics companies
    • Vaccine manufacturers
    • Resource centre
    • Company profiles & report cards
    • R&D-based pharma companies
    • Medical gas companies
    • Generic medicine manufacturers
    • Diagnostics companies
    • Vaccine manufacturers
    • Resource centre
    • Company profiles & report cards
  • Cross-Sector Programmes
    • Antimicrobial resistance
    • Diabetes care
    • Antimicrobial resistance
    • Diabetes care
  • On the pulse of global health
    • Access insights
    • The Health Equity podcast
    • Access insights
    • The Health Equity podcast
  • News
  • Our team
  • Featured insights
  • Governance & financials
  • Vacancies
  • Media coverage
  • FAQ
  • Contact us

Date

28 January 2025

Op-ed: Climate displacement is also a health crisis

For Project Syndicate, the Access to Medicine Foundation’s CEO, Jayasree K. Iyer writes about how climate-induced migration threatens public health by limiting access to vital care, urging pharmaceutical companies to take decisive action in addressing this crisis.

Direct links

Read the full article

Climate-induced displacement is rapidly escalating, with up to 1.2 billion people expected to be displaced by 2050 due to extreme weather. This crisis threatens both humanitarian and public health, as displaced communities face disruptions to healthcare, food shortages, and unsanitary conditions that fuel the spread of diseases. 

In her Project Syndicate article, Iyer stresses the critical role pharmaceutical companies must play in addressing this crisis, especially in areas most affected, where access to life-saving medicines is scarce. She emphasises the need for a comprehensive strategy, urging the industry to enhance supply chains to ensure medicines reach vulnerable communities in remote areas. This includes redesigning products for hotter climates, strengthening shipping networks to prevent disruption, and implementing systems for the large-scale distribution of generic drugs. 

She also highlights the urgency of investing in research and development (R&D) for vaccines and treatments for climate-sensitive diseases, which are rising due to global temperature shifts. Iyer points to the decline in R&D for emerging pathogens and neglected tropical diseases, as noted in the 2024 Access to Medicine Index, which analyses the efforts of pharmaceutical companies in improving access to essential medicines in low- and middle-income countries. 

Additionally, she advocates for stronger public-private partnerships, citing successful collaborations like those between vaccine manufacturers and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. She also emphasises the need for companies to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, given the sector's significant environmental impact.  

Iyer concludes by stressing that the pharmaceutical industry has both a moral responsibility and a strategic interest in acting swiftly. By addressing the health challenges posed by climate displacement, companies can help mitigate the crisis while further strengthening global health resilience. 

Divya Verma

Head of Communications

dverma@accesstomedicinefoundation.org

Get in touch

Media

Read other op-eds by Jayasree K. Iyer
Media

Op-ed: How equitable access to medicines can drive sustainable returns for investors

19 November 2024
Media

Op-ed: Obesity drugs pose a big challenge for health care equity

07 June 2024
Media

Op-ed: How investors can bolster global health equity while generating long-term value

12 February 2024

Access to Medicine Foundation

Interested in our work?

Access to Medicine Foundation is funded by

Terms & conditions

Privacy & cookie policy

Disclaimer

Copyright 2004 - 2025 Access to Medicine Foundation - All Rights Reserved