Philippe Douste-Blazy has focused his energy over the past decade on exploring alternative means to fund development causes. Now, he is making these efforts the centerpiece of his candidacy for the World Health Organization director-general.
Douste-Blazy was among the founding members of the Leading Group on Innovative Financing for Development, a group of countries and organizations working to identify and initiate financing mechanisms for development. Their efforts have led to such tools as the International Finance Facility for Immunization, which issues vaccine bonds on the international capital market to raise funds for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Another example is the Advanced Market Commitments, under which pharmaceutical companies are encouraged to develop vaccines for neglected diseases following guarantees from donor governments or philanthropic institutions such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
He also rallied behind the creation of UNITAID, which for the past 10 years — under his leadership as chair — has helped raised and provide funds for HIV and AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria diagnosis and prevention.
About the author
Jenny Lei Ravelo@JennyLeiRavelo
Jenny Lei Ravelo is a Devex Senior Reporter based in Manila. She covers global health, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization, and other development and humanitarian aid trends in Asia Pacific. Prior to Devex, she wrote for ABS-CBN, one of the largest broadcasting networks in the Philippines, and was a copy editor for various international scientific journals. She received her journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas.
