Pharmaceutical companies donating medicines in crisis situations

The current crisis in Syria is an extreme example of an acute need for coordinated humanitarian response. Eighteen million Syrians — 13.5 million people in Syria and 4.5 million asylum seekers and refugees outside the country — are in need of assistance, including access to medicines and vaccines.

The situation in Syria has prompted humanitarian stakeholders to re-examine the roles and potential responsibilities that different players should take in responding to major humanitarian crises. This includes the pharmaceutical industry — a significant private sector global health stakeholder.

This conversation will continue at upcoming international events such as the World Humanitarian Summit in May 2016. Indeed, WHS 2016 will focus specifically on the role of the private sector. 

The article was published on Devex.