G8 Leaders Focus on Global Health

The leaders of the G8 have recognised the central role of global health in promoting development and poverty reduction in their Gleneagles communique.On the developement of vaccines, the communique says:

...(e) Building on the valuable G8 Global HIV/AIDS vaccine enterprise, increasing direct investment and taking forward work on market incentives, as a complement to basic research, through such mechanisms as Public Private Partnerships and Advance Purchase Commitments to encourage the development of vaccines, microbicides, and drugs for AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other neglected diseases. (f) Supporting the Polio Eradication Initiative for the post eradication period in 2006-08 through continuing or increasing our own contributions toward the $829 million target and mobilising the support of others. We are pleased that the funding gap for 2005 has been met.(g) Working with African countries to scale up action against malaria ... to help ensure access to anti-malaria insecticide-treaded mosquito nets, adequate and sustainable supplies of Combination Therapies including Artemisin, preumptive treatement for pregnant women and babies, household residual spraying and the capacity in African health services to effectively use them ...

IAVI has issued a statement welcoming the G8 communique.Owen's comment: As expected, this commitment on creating market incentives does not go beyond the commitment already made by the G7 Finance Ministers at their meeting in London. However, it does usefully reiterate the importance of such a commitment complementing, and not replacing, public funding and public-private partnerships.On funding of vaccine R&D ball is now in the court of the Italian Finance Minister Siniscalco who has a remit to report back to the Finance Ministers by the end of the year.