2022 Annual Report shows breadth of Foundation’s changemaking impact

This work took place across many fronts, including via consultations to build new frameworks for action, roundtable events to identify potential solutions to critical problems in global health, and via dedicated programmes that delved into data to find fresh insights. Alongside this, we continued to translate the findings of the latest Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Benchmark into action, and published new findings on the lack of access to antibiotics and antifungals in LMICs. The year ended with the launch of the 2022 Access to Medicine Index, with the Foundation mobilising investors, policymakers and companies to act on the Index’s key findings and the opportunities for change. 

The annual report contains insights about our research and key findings across the year, spanning topics from how to ensure the drugmakers that dominate the world’s insulin market scale up access in LMICs, to how to tackle AMR by ensuring appropriate access to the right antibiotics and antifungals, to how to fix healthcare supply chains and improve global health security. 

In addition, the report details how we engaged with key stakeholders to put our findings into action – for example by working with investors so they could use our analysis as a tool to move companies on priority issues, and by briefing policymakers to inform their decision-making. We also put a new stream of work in place to engage with more stakeholders in LMICs – such as governments, regulatory health authorities, regional bodies, multilateral organisations, NGOs and civil society – and spoke at events such as the IQVIA Africa Health Summit, to maximise the reach of our research findings and their changemaking value. 

2022 Access to Medicine Index launch 

One major milestone in 2022 was the launch of our eighth Access to Medicine Index in November. This was launched at an event that assembled a panel of experts to discuss the key findings, identify urgent priorities and determine what actions need to be taken to increase equitable access to critical health products. Special events for investors in London, New York and Tokyo allowed them to review the Index findings, attend panel discussions on global health and investment trends, and meet pharmaceutical company executives to discuss performance and plans. 

The 2022 Index showed ongoing but limited progress, with all 20 companies in scope identified as having an access-to-medicine strategy, though only 5 of the companies were engaged in research and development (R&D) for emerging infectious diseases other than COVID-19. The Index included a special report on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), which found that, for example, almost all SRHR-related priority projects in the pipeline are directed towards HIV/AIDS and hepatitis B, while many other diseases remain unaddressed. 

Building an access framework for generics companies 

While generic medicine manufacturers have long been within the scope of our work – for example, as part of our Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Programme – in 2022 we launched a dedicated programme focused on stimulating generic and biosimilar medicine manufacturers to expand access to their products in LMICs. 

Across the year we convened key stakeholders and experts to identify the priorities for the programme. This included a workshop to discuss future-oriented sustainable approaches and where progress should be made in global health challenges; consultation to understand local gaps in access; and the establishment of an Expert Committee to guide the development of a first-of-its-kind analytical framework specifically for generic and biosimilar medicine manufacturers. 

Tackling AMR: a focus on expanding access to key products 

2022 saw the AMR programme publish a report on how a lack of access to the right antibiotics and antifungals in LMICs drives AMR, and what companies can do to appropriately increase access. 

Our panel event in the Hague allowed us to share the report findings and facilitate a discussion on the importance of linking and coordinating initiatives to address AMR and reduce cross-border health security risks. The report’s findings were also used during discussions at the World AMR Congress in Washington and during World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, helping to clarify how stakeholders, including the pharmaceutical industry, can effectively take action to address AMR. We also co-authored a progress report on the Investor Action on AMR (IAoAMR) initiative, which highlights the efforts the IAoAMR signatory investors have so far under-taken, and can undertake in future, to help turn the tide on rising AMR.

Expanding work on diabetes and medical oxygen 

The annual report also details this year’s establishment of two other programmes, each of which build upon – and formalise – the Foundation’s previous work on these global health priorities. 

The Diabetes Care Programme aims to mobilise companies to improve access in LMICs to insulins and other essential diabetes products such as glucometers. To set out the current issues in access, we published an op-ed in Project Syndicate, arguing that governments and pharmaceutical companies must do their part. Experts, including global health stakeholders, representatives from insulin manufacturing and diagnostic companies and public sector partners, came together in July for a workshop to discuss how good practices can be brought to scale to reach more patients in the coming years. Insights from this workshop were used to inform our October 2022 report on expanding access to insulin. 

The Medical Oxygen Programme aims to stimulate the medical gas industry to improve access to this lifesaving product in LMICs. For 2022, the focus was on bringing the right people to the table to identify areas of priority to improve access. This included hosting expert sessions, briefings, and convened discussions, such as the roundtable we hosted in October to identify solutions for sustaining long-term access.