Newsletter

Dear Colleague,

I’m happy to report that the “responsibility blame game” (primarily around new drug development, but also around who should be responsible for drug conservation efforts) between national governments and the pharmaceutical industry seems to be on hold. Indeed, this past month has seen positive energy and enthusiasm for increased public-private collaboration to more efficiently tackle drug resistance: AstraZeneca urged public sector bodies and NGOs to team up with pharmaceutical groups and share the risks and costs associated with fighting resistance. Pfizer voiced support for public-private partnerships as a key to enforcement against counterfeit drugs, emphasizing – in line with CGD’s DRWG recommendation – that pharmaceutical companies must monitor the supply chain and alert authorities when counterfeit drugs are identified.  

My optimism this month is also sparked as national-level policymakers show increasing recognition of the global nature of the resistance challenge – see, for example, U.S. Congressman Vic Snyder’s recent comments. Is there enough momentum and energy to motivate the EU-US Trans Atlantic Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance to expand its mandate and include developing countries, as we have previously urged? 

I’m also excited to report that the World Health Organization will actively embrace all stakeholders, including civil society and the private sector, as part of its efforts for World Health Day 2011 which will focus on antimicrobial resistance across diseases.

Finally, this month I would like to congratulate our colleague, malaria expert and DRWG member, Nicholas White who is being honored in Toronto this week as winner of the 2010 Canada Gairdner Global Health Award (view related comment in the Lancet). 

As always, we welcome your thoughts at drug_resistance@cgdev.org.

Regards,

Rachel Nugent
Deputy Director for Global Health
Center for Global Development