Private sector engagement

Posted on 2 April 2009

One of MeTA's aspirations is the creation of an environment in emerging markets in developing countries where fair competition can exist for all private sector providers, in other words, a level playing field.

In developing countries the private market for medicines is often characterised by imbalances in information that tend to favour suppliers over consumers – and so there is not a perfectly competitive market. The Private Sector consists of health providers, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, importers, distributors and retailers, international and local pharmaceutical and diagnostics manufacturers both proprietary and generics and insurance organisations. These are essential elements in both the supply side and demand side of the national pharmaceutical market, and can influence all aspects that decide cost and availability of basic health commodities for end users.
 
MeTA seeks to increase the engagement of the private sector with the principles and practice of MeTA’s multi-stakeholder process to improve access to medicines for the poor, through greater transparency and accountability.

Transparency and good governance are important ingredients to ensuring a pharmaceutical market where companies can predict product demands, plan future sales and operate in the knowledge that competition is open and fair. Unfortunately, many emerging markets in Africa, Asia and Latin America lack a level playing field.

Improving access to data on quality, availability, price and promotion of medicines, the scrutiny of this data, and its use through full and progressive disclosures will support the development of viable, efficient medicines markets and supply systems that will ultimately benefit industry, trade and all developing country consumers. Through transparency and disclosure MeTA seeks to improve business practises and foster fair and open competition in the market.
 
The MeTA multi-stakeholder dialogue provides a significant new and innovative opportunity for the private sector to ensure that its concerns and understanding about the barriers to access are aired, listened to, analysed and included in the search for suitable and sustainable solutions.
 
As a first step in its engagement with the Private Sector, MeTA are arranging a one day Consultative Meeting with the pharmaceutical industry to be held in London on 23 rd June 2009. This meeting will provide an opportunity to hear about MeTA’s efforts so far, and to identify – from the perspective of private sector enterprises – the major challenges facing companies working in emerging markets. It also provides an opportunity to help shape those efforts to find a sustainable and lasting solution to the problem of access to medicines in developing countries.
 
By Brian Elliott
Executive Director of MeTA