After being declared a global health emergency 25 years ago, tuberculosis (TB) remains among the top ten causes of death worldwide – affecting every region, especially in developing countries. It is encouraging that world leaders have just agreed on a strong, forward-looking declaration that sets priorities for the global fight against TB in advance of the upcoming United Nations High-Level Meeting on September 26.
Importantly, the declaration recognizes the complexity of the disease and the real barriers to patient care. The text acknowledges challenges around diagnosis, maintaining a treatment regimen, ensuring patients receive quality care and inadequate financial investment. The declaration calls for advances such as “prevention efforts and access to quality diagnosis, treatment and care…effective people-centered and community-based models of care supported by integrated care services, as well as financing innovations.”
The United Nations declaration on TB recognizes the complexity of the disease and the real barriers to patient care. Innovation is part of the solution to fighting this deadly disease.
The complexity of TB is notable. The majority of TB medicines are generic and available at low prices from multiple quality-assured suppliers (e.g., less than $20 per patient for a six-month supply). And new, patented TB medicines are widely distributed through robust access programs. To create access to the medicines, these systemic barriers – like underfunded health systems and infrastructure issues – must be addressed to end TB.
In recognizing intellectual property’s critical role in finding solutions, the declaration does not call on countries to undermine private sector innovation, through actions such as issuing compulsory licenses, and acknowledges several international agreements outlining intellectual property protections, as well as “the need for appropriate incentives in the development of new health products.” Intellectual property is one of the most important incentives, encouraging companies to pursue risky investments to discover new medicines and technologies.
So, as delegates meet later this month in New York, it is critical to convene around and commit to implementing the ambitious goals set forth in the declaration. By working across the public and private sectors, innovative, practical solutions will emerge to combat this deadly disease.
