Global Health Partnerships: An Introduction

The need for innovative pharmaceutical solutions for global health has never been greater than it is today, because of the serious challenges brought about by the increase of epidemics and pandemics and the old persistent, health problems facing humanity. Given the magnitude and formidable nature of the challenges in global health, most have realized that no single stakeholder can act alone. Among the many solutions proposed, global health partnerships have increased their momentum and visibility since the beginning of the 2000s. Some of these partnerships, especially those aiming for life-saving pharmaceuticals, have brought about measurable success and have provided immediate and critical relief to a large number of people affected by neglected diseases or chronic illnesses. Thus, the importance of partnerships in the timely provision of effective pharmaceuticals for those infected and affected by intractable health problems has been recognized. On a grander scale, many are asking, “what kinds of partnerships do we need to bring about a useful solution to the increasing demand for effective and affordable pharmaceuticals in the world?” This book aims to answer this question by proposing the restoring of the balance in the supply and demand/need chain through the use of a planting strategy. In specific, this writing analyzes the comparative advantages of major stakeholders and proposes a possible partnership between large multinational pharmaceutical companies and the stakeholders in the BRICA countries, namely, Brazil, Russia, India, China, and Africa (South Africa in particular) as a model for solving the problem of improving global health.