• About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
Wednesday, July 9, 2025
  • Login
The Vaultz News
  • Top Stories
  • News
    • General News
    • Education
    • Health
    • Opinions
  • Economics
    • Economy
    • Finance
      • Banking
      • Insurance
      • Pension
    • Securities/Markets
  • Business
    • Agribusiness
    • Vaultz Business
    • Extractives/Energy
    • Real Estate
  • World
    • Africa
    • America
    • Europe
    • UK
    • USA
    • Asia
    • Around the Globe
  • Innovation
    • Technology
    • Wheels
  • Entertainment
  • 20MOBPL2DNew
  • Jobs & Scholarships
    • Job Vacancies
    • Scholarships
No Result
View All Result
The Vaultz News
  • Top Stories
  • News
    • General News
    • Education
    • Health
    • Opinions
  • Economics
    • Economy
    • Finance
      • Banking
      • Insurance
      • Pension
    • Securities/Markets
  • Business
    • Agribusiness
    • Vaultz Business
    • Extractives/Energy
    • Real Estate
  • World
    • Africa
    • America
    • Europe
    • UK
    • USA
    • Asia
    • Around the Globe
  • Innovation
    • Technology
    • Wheels
  • Entertainment
  • 20MOBPL2DNew
  • Jobs & Scholarships
    • Job Vacancies
    • Scholarships
No Result
View All Result
The Vaultz News
No Result
View All Result

Global Coalition Of Research Institutes Call On Governments To Commit To Simple Reforms That Will Accelerate Access To Medicines

November 6, 2020
Stephen M.Cby Stephen M.C
in Health, General News
0
Global Coalition Of Research Institutes Call On Governments To Commit To Simple Reforms That Will Accelerate Access To Medicines

Franklin Cudjoe, President IMANI Centre for Policy and Education

A global coalition of twenty-nine (29) public policy research institutes and think tanks have called on various governments to commit to simple reforms that will accelerate access to medicines, including those in the process of being developed for Covid-19 saying the reforms will have benefits that last beyond the current pandemic.

Their call comes prior to the gathering of member states of the World Health Organization next week in Geneva for the World Health Assembly.

The think thanks in a statement urged governments to keep trade free and remove tax and regulatory obstacles, in order to promote access to COVID-19 medicines adding that they believe, collaboration, open trade and innovation is crucial to the response to Covid-19.

RelatedPosts

Ghana Slammed for UN LGBTQ Abstention

Bright Simons Slams E&P Over Gold Mine Controversy

Ato Forson Declares War on Gold Smuggling at GoldBod Task Force Inauguration

The coalition further noted that, some reforms to help accelerate access to medicines will be to reduce unnecessary medicine costs by abolishing tariffs and taxes on medical supplies and medicines, rejecting export bans on medical supplies and reduce customs red tape.

According to the institutes in the statement, import tariffs, sales taxes and other levies are applied by many countries on medicines and vaccines, driving up prices and reducing availability.

“In the majority of developing countries, most healthcare costs are met directly out of pocket due an absence of functioning healthcare insurance and delivery. To improve access to medicines, governments should take steps now to remove unnecessary medicine price inflators, many of which are self-imposed.”

15812452 401

It further noted that, in many countries domestic taxes can make up 20-30% of the final price people pay for medicines and urged for its permanent abolishment adding that, customs red tape should be reviewed to keep medicines crossing borders as quickly as possible.

The Institutes recommended that, governments should commit to permanent tariff reductions in medicines and vaccines via legally binding World Trade Organization(WTO), commitments and also review taxes imposed on medicines with a view to rationalization, or preferably, abolition adding that, Covid-19 therapeutics and vaccines should be made available tax free.

Another reform the institutes suggested was to accelerate access to medicines by simplifying the drug approval process, modernizing government medicine reimbursement decision-making, promoting genuine free trade in medicines and supporting the innovation system.

“Patients wait of up to seven years for new treatments while waiting for national drug regulatory authorities to approve them, even if they have already been declared safe and efficacious by a stringent regulatory authority such as from the US food and Drug Administration (FDA) or European Medicines Agency (EMA).”

The Institutes urged countries to reduce this duplication and speed medicines access by accepting the decisions of other regulatory authorities. Other measures they recommended include asking governments to update their national formulary lists more frequently to take account of new medicines, and an end to protectionist measures that prioritise local companies, for example during procurement. They posited that, such “localised barriers to trade” reduce the number of medicines suppliers, leading to higher prices, fewer choices and shortages.

Commenting in the statement, Founding President of IMANI Centre for Policy and Education, Franklin Cudjoe urged for the new COVID-19 treatments to be made available quickly.

“As new treatments and vaccines for Covid-19 become available it is imperative they are made available globally as quickly as possible. Trade and regulatory barriers stand in the way in many countries. Fortunately, many of these barriers are easy to address so we urge countries including those in Africa to take action now.

 “Smoothing the path to Covid medicine access will also help patients who face long delays and tax-inflated medicine prices for all other diseases none of which have gone away.”

Tags: COVID-19HealthIMANI Centre for Policy and EducationResearch Institutes
Please login to join discussion
Previous Post

Banks Record Marginal Growth in Gross Loans and Advances

Next Post

New WTO paper explores linkages between trade and the spread of diseases of animal origin

Sign up for The Vaultz analytic wire

Get weekly news analysis from top editors at The Vaultz and stay informed on trending economic and business issues from across the globe.

Related Posts

LGBTQ concerns in Ghana
General News

Ghana Slammed for UN LGBTQ Abstention

July 9, 2025
Databank Forecasts Prolonged Slump in T-Bill Demand Over Low Yield Concerns
Securities/Markets

Databank Forecasts Prolonged Slump in T-Bill Demand Over Low Yield Concerns

July 9, 2025
Bright Simons, E&P, Azumah
General News

Bright Simons Slams E&P Over Gold Mine Controversy

July 8, 2025
Bank Al-Maghrib Joins Afreximbank’s PAPSS to Drive Intra-African Trade
Banking

Bank Al-Maghrib Joins Afreximbank’s PAPSS to Drive Intra-African Trade

July 8, 2025
Kwasi Sibo
Sports

Kwasi Sibo Eyes Black Stars Call-Up

July 8, 2025
Rishi Sunak Joins Goldman Sachs As Adviser
UK

Rishi Sunak Joins Goldman Sachs As Adviser

July 8, 2025
LGBTQ concerns in Ghana
General News

Ghana Slammed for UN LGBTQ Abstention

by Lilian AhedorJuly 9, 2025
Databank Forecasts Prolonged Slump in T-Bill Demand Over Low Yield Concerns
Securities/Markets

Databank Forecasts Prolonged Slump in T-Bill Demand Over Low Yield Concerns

by Stephen M.CJuly 9, 2025
Bright Simons, E&P, Azumah
General News

Bright Simons Slams E&P Over Gold Mine Controversy

by Silas Kafui AssemJuly 8, 2025
Bank Al-Maghrib Joins Afreximbank’s PAPSS to Drive Intra-African Trade
Banking

Bank Al-Maghrib Joins Afreximbank’s PAPSS to Drive Intra-African Trade

by Stephen M.CJuly 8, 2025
Kwasi Sibo
Sports

Kwasi Sibo Eyes Black Stars Call-Up

by Evans Junior OwuJuly 8, 2025
Rishi Sunak Joins Goldman Sachs As Adviser
UK

Rishi Sunak Joins Goldman Sachs As Adviser

by Lawrence AnkutseJuly 8, 2025
LGBTQ concerns in Ghana
Databank Forecasts Prolonged Slump in T-Bill Demand Over Low Yield Concerns
Bright Simons, E&P, Azumah
Bank Al-Maghrib Joins Afreximbank’s PAPSS to Drive Intra-African Trade
Kwasi Sibo
Rishi Sunak Joins Goldman Sachs As Adviser
[/vc_row_inner]

Recent News

  • Ghana Slammed for UN LGBTQ Abstention
  • Databank Forecasts Prolonged Slump in T-Bill Demand Over Low Yield Concerns
  • Bright Simons Slams E&P Over Gold Mine Controversy
  • Bank Al-Maghrib Joins Afreximbank’s PAPSS to Drive Intra-African Trade
  • Kwasi Sibo Eyes Black Stars Call-Up
The Vaultz News

Copyright © 2021 The Vaultz News. All rights reserved.

Navigate Site

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact

Follow Us

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Top Stories
  • News
    • General News
    • Education
    • Health
    • Opinions
  • Economics
    • Economy
    • Finance
      • Banking
      • Insurance
      • Pension
    • Securities/Markets
  • Business
    • Agribusiness
    • Vaultz Business
    • Extractives/Energy
    • Real Estate
  • World
    • Africa
    • America
    • Europe
    • UK
    • USA
    • Asia
    • Around the Globe
  • Innovation
    • Technology
    • Wheels
  • Entertainment
  • 20MOBPL2D
  • Jobs & Scholarships
    • Job Vacancies
    • Scholarships

Copyright © 2021 The Vaultz News. All rights reserved.