Delivered by Vanessa Peberdy, Head of NCD Policy & Advocacy & WHO Engagement
Geneva, 4 February 2020: This Statement is made by the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations, the Global Diagnostic Imaging, Healthcare IT & Radiation Therapy Trade Association, the Global Self-Care Federation, supported by the International Council of Biotechnology Associations.
We represent key private sector industry stakeholders in the health care field would like to take this opportunity to make a joint statement on FENSA.
We welcome the WHO Director General’s frequent positive statements relating to the important contribution of the private sector to the development and attainment of global health objectives including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s).
We also welcome the Director General’s statement that FENSA should not act as a fence against private sector cooperation and engagement with WHO in finding solutions and achieving joint objectives.
Indeed, health care industries, working in partnership with the public sector, philanthropic organizations, NGO’s and communities are seeking to make significant strides in meeting many SDGs. We are eager to cooperate openly with WHO and work together to find sustainable solutions.
We ask the WHO Executive Board to encourage further collaboration with the health care industries and ensure the FENSA guidelines are adopted as enablers for productive engagement, and not as a barrier.
In this spirit, it will be beneficial to ensure increased clarity for engagement by Non State Actors, particularly concerning WHO’s approach to policy consultation and in the criteria on the selection of experts on working and advisory groups.
We acknowledge and respect the need to address conflict of interest. Experience with various regulatory public bodies among many Member States demonstrates that conflicts can be managed and ensure positive contribution by the healthcare private sector.
As representatives of various sectors of the health care industry, we would welcome further dialogue with WHO and its Member States on the operation of FENSA and the overall approach to the input of NSAs in the consultation process to fully harness capabilities in innovation.