22 Biopharma Companies Partner and Launch First-of-its-kind Global Initiative to Address Rise of Non-Communicable Diseases - Seite 2

With the World Bank Group the initiative will identify solutions to address financing, regulatory and service delivery barriers at country level. Additionally, the World Bank Group will conduct pilots in primary care to improve NCD outcomes in several countries, with an initial focus on a country in Africa. 

"The rapid increase in NCDs in developing countries is a serious threat to our goal of improving the health of the world's poorest citizens and achieving universal health coverage," said Tim Evans, Senior Director of Health, Nutrition and Population at the World Bank Group. "Tackling this successfully will take coordinated effort by governments, civil society, the private sector and international partners. This new effort is an opportunity for all players to test and scale up innovative ways to deliver effective care for NCDs, with a strong focus on primary health care."

In addition, the initiative plans to develop partnerships with organizations specializing in each of the major non-communicable diseases (NCDs), starting with cancer. As part of this effort, the coalition of companies will serve as a foundational partner of the UICC's C/Can 2025: City Cancer Challenge (C/Can 2025), which also launched at the World Economic Forum. In 2017, C/Can 2025 will engage cities around the world with a population over 1 million to improve cancer treatment and care, working with specific 'learning cities' in low- and middle-income countries which require international support to develop effective, sustainable cancer care delivery for their citizens. Initial learning cities will include Cali, Colombia; Asuncion, Paraguay; and Yangon, Myanmar; with additional locations to be announced this year.

"C/Can 2025 strives towards a future where all cities can address the growing cancer burden they face and in low- and middle-income countries the international community can help put in place effective diagnostics and treatment to patients at risk of or diagnosed with cancer," said Cary Adams, Chief Executive Officer at UICC. "By working with Access Accelerated we will be able to improve cancer survival rates everywhere."

For more information, please visit http://www.accessaccelerated.org.

About Access Accelerated

Access Accelerated is a first-of-its-kind, multi-stakeholder collaboration focused on improving NCD care. Involving more than 20 biopharmaceutical companies, the initiative works with partners such as World Bank Group and the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) to help overcome a variety of access barriers to NCD medicines in low-income and lower-middle income countries. Access Accelerated will support multi-stakeholder dialogue and begin on-the-ground work to improve NCD prevention, diagnosis and treatment.  

Contributing companies include: Almirall, Astellas, Bayer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Chugai, Daiichi Sankyo, Eisai, Eli Lilly and Company, EFPIA, GlaxoSmithKline, The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA), Johnson & Johnson, JPMA, Menarini, Merck, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, PhRMA, Roche, Sanofi, Shionogi, Sumitomo Dainippon, Takeda and UCB. IFPMA will act as the Secretariat for Access Accelerated. 

About Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)

NCDs, including cancers, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory disease, diabetes and mental health disorders are the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. This places a double burden on communities and economies around the world already combating infectious diseases.

CONTACT: MJ Walker, [e-mail], 212-445-8411