Under Pressure: Strategies to Improve Access to Medicines to Treat HIGH Blood Pressure in Low- and Middle-income Countries
High blood pressure, known as hypertension, is the world’s leading cause of death, killing more than 10 million people every year – more than all infectious diseases combined. Three quarters of people with high blood pressure live in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), but fewer than one in 10 people with hypertension who live in LMICs are treated effectively. Hypertension can be controlled with safe, effective, and low cost medications, but access is highly unequal across countries.
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The event will mark the release of a new report from Resolve to Save Lives and Médecins Sans Frontières that underscores the need for a transformation of the global blood pressure medicines market to make life-saving medicines more affordable and available. It will feature testimony from a patient who has struggled to access medication and a conversation with a panel of leading global health advocates.
Dr. Tom Frieden is the President and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, an initiative of Vital Strategies, and a senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is the former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2009 to 2017, and the former commissioner of the New York City Department of Health Department. Resolve to Save Lives works with countries to prevent 100 million deaths and to make the world safer from epidemics.
Dr. Faisal Shuaib is the Executive Director/ Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria's National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA). He is a public health specialist and medical doctor who led Nigeria’s campaign against Ebola as Head of the Nigeria Ebola Emergency Operation Center. He has worked for nearly a decade on the fight against wild polio virus, including heading Nigeria’s efforts in the final years leading up to its successful eradication in August 2020.
Ms. Kobayashi is the Senior Director for Noncommunicable Diseases at the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI). Her portfolio includes cardiovascular diseases and the Cancer Access Partnership. She is a public health professional with extensive in-country experience in sub-Saharan Africa, and globally across health areas. CHAI is a global health organization committed to saving lives and reducing the burden of disease in low-and middle-income countries. We work with governments, private sector, and partners to create and sustain high-quality health systems.
Dr. Mikkelsen was formerly Director, Division of Noncommunicable Diseases and Promoting Health through the Life-course at the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe (Copenhagen, Denmark), Head of Secretariat for the Global Coordination Mechanism on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (WHO GCM/NCD) at the World Health Organization Headquarters (Geneva, Switzerland) from its inception in 2014 as well as a former CEO of the Southern and Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority.
Dr. Garg is the Senior Vice President at Resolve to Save Lives. She has more than three decades of experience supporting implementation of large-scale public health programs in low- and middle- income countries. She previously served as WHO Representative for Thailand and as a WHO Team Leader for Noncommunicable Diseases. In these roles she oversaw WHO’s programs and supported the government and civil society partners to improve access to effective hypertension treatment, develop policies for sodium reduction, eliminate trans fat, curb tobacco use and accelerate COVID-19 vaccination. Previously she has worked at WHO SEARO, US CDC, and at public health institutions in India covering health programs including noncommunicable diseases, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and child survival.
Edwin Mabhena is the Medical Activities Manager for Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF), OCG. He has been working with MSF in Eswatini since 2008. He has experience working with HIV and TB in Zimbabwe his native country. He has Master of Science in Public Health and has also specialised in Community Health Management, Health Sciences Education and Health Services Management. The MSF project in Eswatini is involved in improving Access to HIV/TB/NCD care to the marginalised population of Nhlangano zone in Shiselweni Region of Eswatini.
