WHO activities in the European region
Hanne Bak Pedersen
Programme Manager, Health Technologies and Pharmaceuticals
Division of Health Systems and Public Health
PPRI Summer School , Vienna, August 2017
Presentation outline
• WHO’s role and responsibilities
• Key health indicators, European Region
• Main challenges in access to medicines in the WHO European Region
• SDGs and access to medicines related action to address challenges
WHO
• The UN specialized agency for health
• 194 Member States
• 800+ Collaborating Centers
• Approximately 7 000 public health experts including
doctors, pharmacists, nurses, epidemiologists, scientists,
managers, administrators
• 147 country offices, 6 regional offices, 1 headquarters
WHO
WHO European Region
• 53 Member States
• 900 million inhabitants
• 4 official languages
• Regional office in Copenhagen
• 29 country offices
• 5 geographically dispersed offices
Life expectancy at birth
Premature mortality
Total expenditure on health as a
proportion of GDP
Out of pocket expenditure
Main challenges in access to medicines in the WHO
European Region
• Quality: weak regulatory practices in some countries give room to circulation of falsified or poor quality medicines. Uncontrolled internet selling is of concern, etc.
• Prices: new high-price medicines creates issues on future sustainability of the health systems and UHC. High out-of-pocket payments for medicines in some countries.
• Procurement / shortages: vital out of patent medicines are not interesting to manufacturers anymore due to production and/or profit related matters. Low capability to forecast demand in some settings.
• Responsible use: lack of national consolidated prescribing policies/ guidance on use as well as over the counter selling of prescription only medicines
Sustainable Development Goals
20162007 2008 2012 20151978 1996
Glo
bal
co
mm
itm
ents
WHA 28.66
WHA60.16
WHA 69.25
SDGs
1975 1977 19941988 2013 2014
First model list
of essential
drugs
Alma-Ata
Declaration
WHA 41.16
WHA47.13
WHA 67.20,
67.21, 67.22WHA61.21
EB132.R4
Access to medicines and technologies
WHA 67.25, 68.7
Access framework
1- Assured quality2- Affordable prices and
sustainable financing
4- Responsible selectionand use
3-Reliable and efficient supply chain
Good governance
Working towards country cooperation to improve
access to medicines in Europe
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018+
Prospective country collaboration on technical capacity for strategic procurement
WHO EURO support to Member States
• Networks of national authorities in the Region on
– Pricing and reimbursement policies in collaboration with the WHO CC PPRI (Austrian Public Health Institute)
– Medical product regulation
– Strategic procurement
– Responsible use of medicines incl drug utilization monitoring and analysis with a specific focus on use of antimicrobials – through the AMC network
• Support national capacity development for example
– for efficiency in regulation and use of medicines; - benchmarking of NRAs and training of medicines assessors;
– policy development for sustainable access to medicines;
• Overall awareness and knowledge sharing in the medical product are for example through data analysis and publications
Thank you
