At the 69^th World Health Assembly, Member States were asked to consider the outcomes of the Open-Ended Meeting and continue discussions on issues related to monitoring, coordination and financing for health research.

Michelle Childs, DNDi‘s Head of Policy Advocacy, delivered the following statement on behalf of DNDi.

“The main system driving and financing medical innovation is failing to deliver on many fronts. R&D is lacking for Neglected Tropical Diseases, emerging infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance; Access to Hepatitis treatment is rationed.

DNDi’s portfolio has expanded beyond an NTD focus (including the demonstration project for leishmaniasis) to reflect this.

Innovation and access are on the political agenda like never before, but the response to these failures is fragmented. At this assembly multiple agenda items propose R&D frameworks.

Different frameworks for different diseases fail to address 5  core problems:

1. No global body to identify R&D needs,
2. No globally-agreed priority setting,
3. No coordination of R&D efforts to reduce duplication,
4. Lack of sustainable financing,
5. No globally-agreed norms that guide R&D initiatives to ensure affordability

This agenda item presents an opportunity to consider a common core framework and the elements within it.

DNDi’s model is based on open innovation, de-linkage, and affordable access. Based on our experience, we urge Member States to consider 4 actions to enable the emergence of a more sustainable and efficient innovation system:

1. Request WHO to establish a process for priority setting for all areas of public health importance;
2. ensure the Global Observatory is sustainably funded and covers all areas of public health importance;
3. ensure pooled funds cover all areas of need, focus on agreed priorities and apply the CEWG principles of innovation with access including de-linkage;
4. join the dots between multiple frameworks and progressively  develop an overarching framework for all R&D actors and all areas of public health importance.  Including  WHO  engaging  in other policy fora to promote the implementation of the CEWG principles.

Member States should ask WHO to organize an intergovernmental conference on policy coherence for R&D, to consider core common elements for development of global frameworks for R&D.”