There’s a lot of talk about starting a new fund to meet the next global pandemic. Discussions in Geneva around both the pandemic accord and the amendments to the International Health Regulations have broached the topic of a new financing mechanism. The Group of 20 major economies has also shown interest in setting up a surge financing framework to meet the needs of another pandemic.
But others are stepping back to look at the current financing landscape and consider: Is another fund actually needed?
Experts point out that there are a lot of currently existing financing models already, which with some tinkering could help in a health crisis. One key change is for existing instruments to consider channeling money for prevention, rather than just in response to a crisis like what happened during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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There are also models, such as contingent loans and sovereign risk pools, that are often used for climate-related disasters. They could be both tailored to assist during a pandemic. But only if they are made more accessible to low- and middle-income countries.
Cristina Stefan, a pandemic finance expert at the U.K.-based Centre for Disaster Protection, put it succinctly to my colleague Jenny Lei Ravelo: “If I’m to use what the World Bank is saying these days through Ajay Banga, it’s build a better system before you build a bigger system.”
Read: Is a new fund really the answer to the next pandemic? (Pro)
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India’s reputation as the world’s pharmacy comes, in part, from the country’s willingness to apply international intellectual property laws in a way that has encouraged generic production of pharmaceuticals.
But that status is once again under threat, this time by the European Free Trade Association — the four-nation bloc of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.
India has historically chosen to loosely apply IP regulations, including a mandate in the World Trade Organization’s 1995 Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property, or TRIPS, agreement, that data should be protected. TRIPS does not demand data exclusivity though, and Indian generic producers are allowed to use data, such as preexisting pharmaceutical formulations, to produce generic drugs quickly and inexpensively.
Countries, particularly the United States and European nations, have consistently tried to get India to tighten its regulations beyond what TRIPS requires — pushing for what are known as TRIPS-plus requirements. Now it’s EFTA’s turn. A leaked draft of a new trade agreement would have required Indian manufacturers to wait until data exclusivity periods expire or run their own clinical trials.
India’s government has since clarified that it has rejected those demands, but this latest salvo shows that wealthier nations are intent on pushing India to introduce TRIPS-plus provisions. And the fact that the provisions keep appearing in leaked agreements may signal that some Indian negotiators are willing to accept the stipulations. The implication is that some government officials may want to move beyond being the world’s pharmacy and become its newest pharmaceutical innovator — something they believe may require tighter IP regulations.
Read: Leaked trade deal sparks concerns over access to generic medicines (Pro)
For women around the world, an implant is their preferred contraceptive option. It doesn’t come with the burden of taking a daily pill or, often, the side effects. There’s only one problem: Implants have to be removed. This requires women to remember to get the matchstick-sized device taken out, usually after about three years, while creating an additional chore for health workers.
That’s why there is so much enthusiasm for a biodegradable implant. And the first model is now undergoing human clinical trials after more than 20 years. Casea S, as it’s known, was created by FHI 360 and is designed to last 18 to 24 months, much shorter than the standard implants currently on the market.
Still, it will be years before Casea S reaches consumers — if it ever does. Researchers still have to check the safety of the biodegradable and set the dose levels of etonogestrel, the synthetic hormone present in the device.
Read: Biodegradable contraceptive implant enters human trials
Want to know where to keep your focus in the global health space this coming year? We’ve got you covered. Throughout 2024, Devex will be keeping a close eye on the happenings at the 24 global development movers and shakers that made our yearly list of organizations to watch — and that includes some key global health organizations.
One on our list is the African Pharmaceutical Technology Foundation, which will see its first year of operations. Can this new foundation help spur the transfer of technology and know-how to African pharmaceutical agencies? We’re also watching the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation — a donor large enough to set the global health agenda. And, of course, we’ll keep you up to date on the World Health Organization, as the agency guides the discussions over the pandemic accord and seeks more predictable, flexible funding.
Get a rundown of all 24 organizations we’ll be following closely in 2024 and keep an eye out for that coverage in future editions of CheckUp.
Read: 24 global development agencies to watch in 2024
Politics is in the air, even if politicians don’t recognize the importance of air quality. More than 80 countries are holding elections this year, but it’s rare to hear candidates talk about the importance of safe air — even though 90% of people are breathing in unhealthy conditions.
What politicians also don’t seem to recognize is that committing to reducing air pollution could be an electoral winner, former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark argues in her opinion piece for Devex. Not only are there potentially vast health benefits but also socioeconomic ones: India, one of the top 10 most polluted countries, lost $95 billion, or 3% of its gross domestic product in 2019, to air pollution, according to an analysis by Dalberg Partners.
Opinion: Voters should hold leaders accountable for toxic air in 2024
Every week our exclusive Weekender newsletter goes out to Devex Pro members, but we’re giving you a little peek at its content since there have been some big job moves in the global health sector recently:
Olajide Idris is the new director-general of Nigeria CDC. He’s a former health commissioner for Lagos and most recently served as medical director at FHS Medical Consulting.
Patrick L. Osewe, director of the human and social development sector office at the Asian Development Bank, retired and will be moving back to Nairobi to work in the health space.
Ellen Agler is moving on from the END Fund, where she has served as CEO for 12 years. She’ll be joining a startup focused on leadership development and social change. COO Diana Benton Schechter is stepping in as Interim CEO.
+ To keep on top of who’s who in the global health and development sectors, sign up to Devex Pro and get the Weekender in your inbox every Sunday, full of insider tidbits and more of the latest high-level job moves to keep you in the know.
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In a bid to become an African medical tourism hub, Ethiopia is constructing a $400 million hospital complex in Addis Ababa — even as other parts of the country’s health system are on the brink of collapse. [Semafor]
A Swiss company changed the chemical coating on the only bednets that Papua New Guinea uses, rendering the nets less effective and potentially contributing to soaring rates of new malaria cases. [Bloomberg]
Israeli forces have detained ambulances carrying patients needing surgery in Gaza in the latest incident of aid convoys coming under fire. [UN News]