UNICEF held a global consultation with pharmaceutical manufacturers on Monday 27th and Tuesday 28th of September 2010 in Copenhagen. This consultation, which takes place every two years, aims at presenting and discussing with industry and partners the priority health programmes that contribute to child health and survival as well as the needs these programmes have for appropriate, affordable medicines of assured quality.
This year, focus was given to the work done on establishing product profiles for priority medicines for child survival (following a consultation on 6th-7th September in UNICEF Supply Division) and describing the relevance of these products in the scale up of delivery mechanisms through primary health care. The background and context was presented for requesting flexible solid oral dose preparation as the optimal product presentation/dosage form for children. Partners provided information on their activities to increase the quality of medicines and the opportunities that their programmes provide for manufacturers.
Another objective of the meeting is to increase the knowledge of suppliers with the standards, procedures and expectations of UNICEF as a buyer, and to receive feedback on the areas that can be improved.
Hanne Bak Pedersen, Deputy Director of UNICEF Supply Division, welcomed the representatives of over 50 companies from Europe, Asia, America and Africa and partners. She highlighted in the opening of the meeting the importance of industry's engagement in addressing children needs, and how UNICEF and partners seeks continued collaboration to develop linkages that result in improved access to better medicines for children.
The agenda and presentations can be found in the links below.
Monday 26th September
09:30 Welcome and opening remarks – Hanne Bak Pedersen, Deputy Director, UNICEF Supply Division
09:30 Interventions for Child Survival, Hanne Bak Pedersen, Deputy Director, UNICEF Supply Division
10:10 Overview of UNICEF’s Involvement in procurement and supply of medicines, Francisco Blanco, Chief, Medicines and Nutrition Centre, UNICEF Supply Division
11:50 Feedback from the 6-7th September 2010 Consultative Meeting held in Copenhagen,Dr. Suzanne Hill, WHO and Atieno Ojoo Technical Specialist, H&M, UNICEF Supply Division (discussion only, no presentation)
13:30 The Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Update on programmes, policies and activities, Joelle Daviaud, Senior Pharmaceutical QA Officer
GFATM
15:30 Update on the WHO Prequalification Programme, Dr. Olexandr Polishchuk, Focal Point, WHO EURO
16:30 Discussion
16:50 Summary and Close, Francisco Blanco, Chief MNC
Tuesday 28th September
11:40 Review of Operations of Essential Medicines and HIV/AIDS and Malaria:
15:15 Summary and Closing Remarks, Francisco Blanco, Chief Medicines and Nutrition Centre, UNICEF Supply Division
