The first sentence of the official press release for the new UN report on access to medicines captures all the problems with the report, probably inadvertently. Here is the monster sentence Whether it’s the rising price of the EpiPen, or new outbreaks of diseases, like Ebola, Zika and yellow fever, the rising costs of health technologies … [Read more...] about Hype for UN’s report on access to medicines is confused and contradictory
The dangerous unreliability of quantitative market research seen in Brexit
Updated on the 27th of June 2016 -- this is a re-edited version of a post we originally put on the site in December 2015 I lied to the company that runs my gym recently. I like the gym and, although I have limited contact with them, the managers seem competent and nice enough. They sent me a market research survey and my lies on it are … [Read more...] about The dangerous unreliability of quantitative market research seen in Brexit
Media training needs a radical rethink
If Donald Trump is winning primaries, we know that media training needs a radical rethink What worked then Clients often ask for help getting ready for interviews or press conferences. They are right to worry. Every consultant has a reel full of disasters: unprepared interviewees made to look foolish or dishonest by a … [Read more...] about Media training needs a radical rethink
India’s new medicine taxes hit the poor and the sick
India surprised the world this week by announcing that it would impose taxes on many imported medicines. It will remove customs duty waivers and impose excise duty on 76 medicines used to treat cancer, HIV, haemophilia, diabetes and other diseases. The Times of India reported that this might “result in price increases between 10-25 percent on both … [Read more...] about India’s new medicine taxes hit the poor and the sick
Policy dialogue in the Twitter age
The UN Secretary General has a High Level Panel on Access to Medicines. Helen Clark, the Administrator (Chief Executive) of UNDP and a former prime Minister of New Zealand, recorded a video for the panel members. She discussed UNDP's accomplishments in getting the price of medicines cut for African countries, including Equatorial Guinea. Equatorial … [Read more...] about Policy dialogue in the Twitter age
Access to advanced medicines and affordability: a look forward to 2016
We think that there will be unparalleled attention in 2016 on the issues of access to advanced medicines and on how to pay for them. Past controversies have largely focussed on access in low and middle income countries; this time Europe and North America will command at least as much attention. Ironically, the world’s richest and the poorest will … [Read more...] about Access to advanced medicines and affordability: a look forward to 2016
Five myths about access to medicines in emerging markets
Pharma companies can have an “emerging markets strategy” Emerging markets are nothing like one another: an Argentinian denied an expensive new drug will usually just go and get a court to order his insurer or the state to pay for it; an Indonesian may never even find out what’s wrong with him. Argentina spends about $1050 per person on … [Read more...] about Five myths about access to medicines in emerging markets
The basics about spending on health around the world
Most industrialised countries use about nine percent of GDP for government health spending and about 11 percent of GDP for overall health spending (public and private combined). This chart from the World Bank (based on WHO data) shows the percentage of GDP spent by governments on health and this one the overall health spending. The … [Read more...] about The basics about spending on health around the world
The Addis deal that will “turbo charge development”
UPDATED WITH INTERNATIONAL REACTIONS The Financing for Development meeting ended last night in Addis Ababa with the UK Secretary of State for Development hailing it as "a historic international deal that takes us beyond aid." Justine Greening went on to say, "It is the first ever agreement that allows us to harness private sector investment and … [Read more...] about The Addis deal that will “turbo charge development”
The failure of global health advocacy spelled out in numbers
No fashionable university is without its own department doing studies and advocacy on global health these days and NGOs and consultancies proliferate. Richard Horton and his team at The Lancet seem to produce ever more elaborate reports and commissions demanding an extra $30 billion here or $50 billion there. None of them tell you that funding for … [Read more...] about The failure of global health advocacy spelled out in numbers
The Three Commitments
Why Consultants end up not telling the truth
The worst kind of market research interviewing technique ever
Why bright people can’t explain themselves
