A “who’s who” of politicians, philanthropists, CEOs, and civil society leaders descended upon New York City this week for the annual United Nations General
Assembly (UNGA)—a gathering renowned for its policymaking, pledging, and perennial traffic problems. GHTC was on the scene all week—attending
side events, tuning into the official debates, and navigating police barriers—to be your eyes and ears on the ground. Here is what we heard and
our top four takeaways on global health research and development (R&D):
1. We can’t end TB without new tools, so it’s vital for world leaders to marshal the political will and resources to close the TB R&D funding gap.
Tuberculosis (TB) was a top topic at this year’s assembly with the convening of the first high-level meeting (HLM) on TB. Repeatedly, we heard—from
advocates and
policymakers,
at
side events and in in the
official proceedings—how poor treatment options are a cornerstone of our failure to eradicate TB and of growing drug resistance,
and that
new vaccines and improved treatments and diagnostics
will be key to turning the tide. While much attention focused on this lack of necessary tools, equal attention focused on the
lack of political will and resources to end the epidemic. Many speakers lamented how shamefully slow progress has been since the
World Health Organization (WHO) declared TB a global emergency 25 years ago and highlighted the urgent need to
close the funding gap for TB, including the US $1.3 billion gap for TB R&D.
As the curtain closed on the HLM, world leaders, as expected, endorsed a carefully negotiated political
declaration. GHTC was pleased to see it include a commitment to
increasing investment in TB R&D by $2 billion and strong recognition of the importance of cross-border, cross-sector collaboration
in driving product development. However, we also share concerns raised by other advocates on
accountability. For this meeting to catalyze true change, rhetoric must now translate to action, and commitments must be matched
with mechanisms that track investments and hold nations accountable.
2. There are many roads on the path to universal health coverage, but innovation can be an accelerator.
Universal health coverage (UHC) was another topic that took the spotlight at UNGA 73, championed by the issue’s top “
cheerleader in chief” WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanon Ghebreyus, who has made achieving UHC a centerpiece of his directorship.
Given the focus of the world’s doctor on UHC, many advocates at UNGA framed their specific issues through the lens of UHC, highlighting the myriad
of steps needed to achieve this ambitious goal‒from building a stronger health workforce, to
expanding access to medicines, to tackling leading killers like
malaria,
HIV and AIDS, and TB. Yet, a common theme heard across these conversations is that along each of these roads, innovation can be an
accelerator.
Throughout the week, speakers highlighted how innovations and new technologies can help deliver care more efficiently and effectively, improve access and
drive down costs, and accelerate countries along the path to achieving UHC. TB advocates highlighted how
shorter treatment regimens can improve care, decrease costs, and free up resources, while digital health advocates argued that
better use of data can empower health
workers to track and treat patients and allocate precious health resources most effectively. Others highlighted how innovative new tools like
point-of-care diagnostics can bring improved care to the community level and to people in the most remote corners of the globe.
3. We need additional resources for R&D, and that requires countries to step up in an equitable way.
Domestic resource mobilization and equitable financing were words repeated throughout the week, particularly in conversations around the TB HLM and closing
the TB R&D funding gap.
Advocates,
think tanks, and even
government officials,
argued that high-burden TB countries need to increase domestic investment in TB R&D and treatment. Some advocates have called for a “fair share”
or equitable financing approach to TB R&D financing, with each country c
ommitting to spend .1 percent of their GDP on R&D. Others spoke to the potential of the BRICS nations—Brazil, Russia,
India, China, and South Africa—to play a
greater role in financing R&D.
While much of the TB financing dialogue focused on increasing public sector contributions, conversations also highlighted the impact and further potential
of financing models like the airline-tax-funded work of
UNITAID or public-private
partnership approaches—like
product development partnerships and the work of the
Global Health Innovative Technology Fund—which
have married multisector contributions to bring novel, affordable, accessible tools to market. Other speakers highlighted the opportunity for industry
to increase its TB R&D investment, though many lamented that although industry has brought new TB drugs and diagnostics to market in recent years,
uptake has been slow due to high product costs.
4. There is reason for optimism and reason for concern.
The mood seemed mercurial in midtown Manhattan, as UNGA orators vacillated between optimism and concern about the future of global health and development.
In the drumbeat to UNGA, the always-
impatient optimists Bill and Melinda Gates unveiled
their foundation’s
Goalkeepers report. The report’s
stylish
line graphs, which show a downward trajectory
on health issues like child mortality, are uplifting and inspiring—a great reminder of the staggering progress we’ve achieved in global health
and what’s possible for the future.
The basis of our optimism about the world has always been our belief in the power of innovation to redefine what’s possible – Bill and Melinda Gates
Yet, three years in, it has also become clear the
world is not on track to meet the Global Goals. And even the optimistic Gates are reminding us that though we hold the blueprint
for a healthier world,
continued progress is not inevitable.
The choices our policymakers implement today will determine whether progress continues or stalls. Throughout the week, many speakers gave voice to
fears, highlighting concerns that foreign aid spending is under increased attack in leading donors countries like the United States—a notion
echoed in
President Trump’s speech to the Assembly—and that political changes like Brexit and an “America First” doctrine signal a movement toward isolationism over collective
action. Given significant global health R&D funding comes through foreign aid budgets and the necessity of collaborative global action to deliver
the cures of tomorrow, these developments are worrisome. Will these trends threaten progress, or will momentum continue? That’s a question we’ll surely
continue to reflect on for many UNGAs to come.
