22 firms to raise billions for managing lifestyle diseases
Deaths from lifestyles diseases like cancer and heart diseases continue to rise. PHOTO | FILE
A total of 22 firms are set to pool resources in the fight against lifestyle conditions in a move expected to boost access to treatment and prevention care in poor countries like Kenya.
Under an initiative dubbed ‘Access Accelerated’, top global biopharmaceutical firms have committed to initially raise Sh5 billion ($50 million) to finance the programme in the first three years.
The firms include Almirall, Astellas, Bayer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Chugai, Daiichi, Sankyo, Eisai, Eli Lilly and Company, EFPIA, GlaxoSmithKline and Johnson & Johnson.
Others are The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations), Menarini, Merck, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, PhRMA, Roche, Sanofi, Shionogi, Sumitomo Dainippon and Takeda.
The Kenya Association of Pharmaceutical Industry (Kapi) is expected to lead efforts to replicate the programme launched last week at the World Economic Forum in Davos Switzerland.
Kapi spokesperson William Mwatu said the programme will provide much needed energy to address the rise and management of non-communicable diseases such as cancers in Kenya.
Deaths from lifestyles diseases like cancer and heart diseases continue to rise, reflecting the public health crisis at a time the country is reeling from shortage of doctors.
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