Improving health equality across Europe: 'Health for All' needs a Partnership approach, says GSK/EFPIA head

Addressing health inequalities across Europe is a key challenge for improving care for patients. There is wide variability between member states in the speed with which valuable innovative medicines become available to patients; and then further variability in uptake of medicines between countries and between disease areas.

Andrew Witty, chief executive of GlaxoSmithKline and president of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industry Associations (EFPIA), told a conference in Brussels, Belgium, last week that the pharmaceutical industry and policymakers need to work together so that all patients are able to receive the right treatments.

Speaking alongside John Dalli, the EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy, at the 21st Century Healthcare for Europe conference, Mr Witty recognized the challenges facing governments during the current financial situation and argued for a partnership approach. “Valuable innovation transforms lives. Health for all must be achieved collaboratively at local, national and European level. ‘All for health’ should be the key enabler - the more institutions work together in a trusting environment, the more likely the right approaches can be developed,” he stated.