President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria. Source: WikipediaUNICEF and UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, have launched a High-Level Commission on Life-saving Commodities for Women and Children, as part of the Every Woman, Every Child movement to support achievement of the health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The Co-Chairs will be President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria and Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg of Norway and other members will include global stakeholders from the public, private and civil society sectors. UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake and UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin are its Vice-Chairs.
“Making sure that women and children have the medicines and other supplies they need is critical for our push to achieve the MDGs,” said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. “The Commission will tackle an overlooked but vital aspect of health systems, and ensure that women and children are protected from preventable causes of death and disease.”
Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg of Norway. Source: WikipediaThe Commission will pursue the following outcomes:
- Reducing financial barriers to access through social protection mechanisms, such as fee waivers, vouchers and social insurance, and global financial mechanisms, such as pooled procurement;
- Creating incentives for international and local manufacturers to produce and innovatively package overlooked supplies;
- Identifying fast-track regulatory activities to accelerate registration and reduce registration fees for a special list of products to encourage a focus on quality medicines.
For more information on the Commission, visit www.everywomaneverychild.org/resources/un-commission-on-life-saving-commodities.