Academics Stand Against Poverty
ASAP is co-organizing a roundtable on Thursday 20th May on the Health Impact Fund: How the pharmaceutical sector can satisfy the needs of the global population:
Fondo de Impacto en la salud. Cómo hacer que el sector farmacéutico satisfaga las necesidades de toda la población
https://www.flacso.org.ar/mesa-redonda-fondo-de-impacto-en-la-salud/
Dr. Theron Pummer, Lecturer in Philosophy and Co-Director of the Centre for Ethics, Philosophy and Public Affairs at the University of St. Andrews, is celebrating his birthday by raising money for four highly effective charities working to improve the health of people living in extreme poverty, including Incentives for Global Health (IGH). IGH is sister organization to ASAP, which supports its Health Impact Fund initiative. ASAP President Thomas Pogge has agreed to match donations dollar-for-dollar up to $7,000, and at a discounted rate beyond that. The fundraiser ends at the end of September. As of September 4, Theron had already raised $4,092 towards his $7,000 goal.
This one-time matching gift challenge makes September a great time to donate to IGH. Whether or not you know Theron, you can donate today and have your gift to IGH and other high-impact charities go twice as far.
The other charities that Theron is fundraising for are the Against Malaria Foundation, theSchistosomiasis Control Initiative, and Giving What We Can.
To have your gift to IGH and other high-impact charities doubled, make your contribution by September 31.
Ryerson University, Toronto
May 7, 8:45am–7:00pm: RCC204, Eaton Lecture Theatre (Rogers Communication Ctr)
May 8, 8:30am–7:00pm: Cara Commons (Ted Rogers School of Management)
(Campus map of Ryerson University)
Sign up for this event here
In the last twenty years, extensive and uniform protections of intellectual property rights (IPRs) have been incorporated into the global trading system through initiatives such as the WTO’s Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement. Under this IPR regime, the development of new medicines is driven by the reward of high prices facilitated by temporary market exclusivity. While this method of incentivizing research has produced important innovations, it has also engendered unfortunate consequences. When a new medicine is protected from generic competition, its profit-maximizing price inevitably excludes a large proportion of the world’s population, even in affluent countries such as Canada. As a result of this system of incentives, people suffer and die needlessly as the medicines they need are out of their reach, and research is focused on medicines that can be sold at high prices, rather than on those that would lead to the greatest improvements in human health.
Our two-day conference will examine the challenges presented by the IPR regime to improving health and access to medicines in both Canada and beyond. It will also explore methods of meeting these challenges through existing policy initiatives and through a new mechanism for incentivizing pharmaceutical innovation – the Health Impact Fund (HIF).
Funded by governments and other donors, the proposed HIF would support the development and delivery of new medicines through a pay-for-performance mechanism. Any pharmaceutical firm would have the option of registering a new medicine with the HIF, thereby agreeing to provide it at cost anywhere it is needed in exchange for reward payments based on the drug’s actual health impact.
The HIF proposal has inspired a massive body of research on topics as diverse as antibiotic resistance, health ethics, pay-for-performance, and global governance. This conference will provide a venue for sharing key findings from this research with stakeholders in health policy and pharmaceutical innovation, with the ultimate aim of improving policy making, industry practices and public discourse around healthcare quality and access.
More information on the HIF can be found here.
Speakers include (in alphabetical order):
(Organized by Narmeen Haider, McMaster University and Incentives for Global Health)
The conference will also host a student-led session. Build-A-Change is an annual event, founded by Smart Solutions, that brings together students from all disciplines to collaborate and think critically about some of the most pressing global development challenges. This year, Smart Solutions is partnering with Incentives for Global Health (IGH). As the Health Impact Fund (HIF) rewards pharmaceutical firms based on the impact of their products, the HIF depends on the accuracy and reliability of the data used to measure health impact, particularly within developing countries. Students’ in groups of 2-4 are invited to suggest an idea/innovation that will facilitate and encourage accurate, honest, and complete reports by patients and/or health care providers on health outcomes of a specific therapy, while safeguarding patient confidentiality. The winning team, judged by industry experts, will receive a $1000 monetary prize plus mentorship on behalf of IGH. To register and submit your proposals, please visit smartatmac.org. This challenge was made possible thanks to the hard work of: Leandra Galloro (HIF: McMaster Chapter), Gynter Kotrri (Smart Solutions McMaster) and Harkanwal Randhawa (HIF: McMaster Chapter).
(edited by Julio Frenk and Steven J. Hoffman and published by Oxford University Press)
The conference will also host the official Canadian launch of a new book to be published by Oxford University Press. “To Save Humanity” is a collection of 96 short, honest essays on what single issue matters most for the future of global health. Authored by the world’s leading voices from science, politics, and social advocacy, this collection is both a primer on the major issues of our time and a blueprint for post-2015 health and development. Contributors include Michelle Bachelet (President of Chile), Michael Bloomberg (former Mayor of New York City), Gro Harlem Brundtland (former PM of Norway), Margaret Chan (WHO Director-General), Bill Clinton (former US President), Paul Farmer (Co-Founder of Partners In Health), Melinda Gates (Co-Chair of Gates Foundation), Elton John (Grammy Award-winning musician), Jim Yong Kim (World Bank President), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (Nigeria’s Finance Minister), Michael Porter (Harvard Business School professor), Michel Sidibé (UNAIDS Executive Director), and Larry Summers (former US Treasury Secretary). This unparalleled collection aims to provide illuminating and thought-provoking reading for anyone invested in our collective future. Copies of the book will be available for sale at the conference – which is almost a month before they will reach the shelves of Canadian bookstores on June 1, 2015.
Speaker: Mitu Sengupta (Ryerson University)
Topic: International Health Equity
Chair/Moderator: Zain Rizvi (Yale Law School)
Speakers:
Yugank Goyal (Jindal Global University)
Nicole Hassoun (Binghamton University)
Lathika Sritharan (University of Ottawa)
Alex Wellington (Ryerson University)
*Student competition*
Topic: “Making New Medicines Accessible to All – How Can We Get the Health Impact Fund Going?”
Speaker: Thomas Pogge (Yale University)
Topic: The Role of the Private Sector in Global Health
Speaker: Jami Taylor (Janssen Pharmaceuticals)
Topic: “A Conversation with Practitioners of Global Health Justice”
Chair/Moderator: Alyssa Brierley (Osgoode Hall Law School/York University)
Speakers:
Solomon Benatar (University of Toronto / University of Cape Town)
Jocelyn Mackie (Grand Challenges Canada)
Andrew Pinto (St. Michael’s Hospital & University of Toronto)
Geeta Sodhi (Swasthya, India)
Topic: “Global Health, Local Perspectives”
Chair/Moderator: Chris MacDonald (Ryerson University)
Speakers:
Olivia Chow (former NDP MP/city councilor)
Jane Philpott (Liberal MP Candidate in forthcoming federal election)
Topic: Moving Towards a Global Agreement on Antibiotic Resistance
Chair/Moderator: Trudo Lemmens (University of Toronto)
Speakers:
Aidan Hollis (University of Calgary)
Steven J. Hoffman (University of Ottawa)
Jillian Kohler (University of Toronto)
Kevin Outterson (Boston University)
Topic: “Universal Health Coverage”
Chair/Moderator: Stephanie Nixon (University of Toronto)
Speakers:
Y.Y. Chen (University of Toronto)
Jose Augusto Barreto Filho (Federal University of Sergipe, Brazil)
Paul Grootendorst (University of Toronto)
Topic: “‘To Save Humanity’: What Matters Most for a Healthy Future?”
Chair/Moderator: Julio Frenk (Harvard University) and Steven J. Hoffman (University of Ottawa)
Speakers:
Mathura Mahendren (McMaster University)
Thomas Pogge (Yale University)
Mariana Prado (University of Toronto)
Zain Rizvi (Yale Law School)
Topic: “Pay for Performance”
Chair/Moderator: Aidan Hollis (University of Calgary)
Speakers:
Jaclyn Beca (Cancer Care Ontario)
Brent Fraser (Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care)
Greg Zaric (Ivey Business School, Western University)
Speaker: Aidan Hollis (University of Calgary)
Hor d’oeuvres & Cash Bar (Cara Commons, TRSM)
Attending this conference is free. However, we ask you to please sign up for this event to help us determine numbers for refreshments and ensure we can email you in the event of any changes.
For more information, please contact Prof. Mitu Sengupta (sengupta@ryerson.ca) or
Mr. Matthew Hughsam (hughsamb@mcmaster.ca).
We gratefully acknowledge funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, International Development Research Centre, Ted Rogers School of Management, and the Office of the Vice President of Research & Innovation at Ryerson University.
This event was co-organized by Steven J. Hoffman (University of Ottawa), Aidan Hollis (University of Calgary), Thomas Pogge (Yale University), and Mitu Sengupta (Ryerson University).
BINGHAMTON, NY – Billions of dollars have been spent on developing drugs and supplying them around the world, but which companies’ drugs are actually making an impact? The Global Health Impact Index, headed by Binghamton University Associate Professor Nicole Hassoun, addresses this issue by ranking pharmaceutical companies based on their drugs’ impact on global health. ASAP has supported the project since 2011.
Launched on Jan. 23 at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, the Global Health Impact Index considers how companies drugs measure up on the basis of their impact on the “big three” infectious diseases: malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. While previous indexes have measured the need for different drugs worldwide, the Global Health Impact Index is the first to measure the actual impact of these drugs.
“People have focused on measuring the need for different drugs…but we’re looking at the impact that they’re actually having,” said Hassoun. “This is important for setting goals, evaluating performance — trying to have a bigger impact on global health and saving millions of lives.”
The index looks at three things: the need for several important drugs for tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and malaria; the drugs’ effectiveness; and the number of people who can access the drugs. Each company’s score is the sum of its drugs’ impacts.
According to the index, the companies whose drugs having the most impact on the “big three” diseases are:
The following companies’ drugs had the lowest drug impact scores on the index:
“We are looking at the outcomes of the drugs that the companies hold, so the actual impact on death and disability,” said Hassoun. “We’re looking at the amount of death and disability that the company’s drugs are alleviating.”
Hassoun hopes to motivate pharmaceutical companies to meet the health needs of impoverished people around the world.
According to Hassoun and ASAP, one third of all deaths globally, about 18 million per year, are linked to poverty, because people living in poverty cannot afford medicines and pharmaceutical companies do not have the financial incentive to develop treatments for diseases that primarily affect impoverished people.
By better understanding the impacts of companies’ products on the burden of disease, said Hassoun, researchers can have a tool for measuring impact; governments, donors, etc. can better target their efforts; and companies can be incentivized to focus on impact.
Visit the Global Health Impact Index website or contact Nicole Hassoun for more information.
Interesting intern positions are available at Incentives for Global Health and ASAP UK. Details on available posts is provided below.
Incentives for Global Health (IGH)’s mission is to increase access to essential medicines through our flagship proposal, the Health Impact Fund (HIF). Millions of people suffer and die each year from neglected diseases because pharmaceutical companies sell their patented drugs at hugely marked-up prices. These companies are incentivized by the international intellectual property system to develop drugs for ailments that affect primarily affluent people who can afford these exorbitant drugs. The Health Impact Fund creates an alternative incentive structure for pharmaceutical companies. When a company registers a new drug with the Health Impact Fund, they agree to sell that drug at production cost (which is typically extremely low) all over the world. Innovators are then awarded a percentage of the fund based on the HIF’s assessment of the actual global health impact of the drug.
As an intern you will play an essential role in the organization of IGH’s activities including drafting proposals, organizing pilots and coordinating weekly calls. You will work with IGH’s impressive management board which includes Thomas Pogge, philosophy professor at Yale and Aidan Hollis, economics professor at the University of Calgary in addition to some of the world’s foremost medical, pharmaceutical and health policy experts. Our advisory board includes former Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin, former MSF President James Orbinski and several Nobel laureates in addition to over a dozen other global health and economics luminaries.
This is a part time position and you will not need to come into the office. Correspondence will be done by email and Skype calls. This is an incredible opportunity with a great organization. We look forward to your application, which should include a CV and cover email. Please submit your application by December 1st at 5pm. If you have any questions please feel free to get in touch with Narmeen Haider, Manager at IGH, at narmeen.haider@learnlink.mcmaster.ca.
ASAP UK is seeking an intern to develop its social media presence. This is an exciting opportunity for people interested in the relationship between communications, learning, and advocacy to learn online marketing skills. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, and work begins January 1, 2014.
Key Responsibilities
Desired Qualifications and Skills
Learning Outcomes
Work Sample Required for Application
Applicants should submit a writing sample of 3-5 pages. Excerpts of longer pieces of writing are acceptable. The ideal writing sample would be written in a journalistic, rather than academic, style.
Start date: January 1, 2014
End date: May 1, with the possibility of extension
For additional information, contact Stephanie Eldridge at s-eldridge@hotmail.com.