The Risks and Benefits of Drug Industry Sponsorship

They remain silent instead of speaking out

An article in the Dutch newspaper Trouw reveals how patients’ groups that are sponsored by medicine producers – an ever increasing phenomenon – lose their critical ability. Patients’ groups that are sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry act in support of an agenda skewed towards producing medicines as the primary road to good health, at the expense of health promotion and disease prevention. This means remaining silent when problems with medicines are exposed, as well as circulating positive information about medicines.

Read the article in full in Dutch, or in a shortened version in English.

WHO and sponsorship
For more recent material see Public/Private Interactions
WHO's increasingly close collaboration with the pharmaceutical industry has raised concerns about conflict of interest by HAI and a number of public interest organisations. HAI has focused attention on this issue at various fora involving WHO.

January 2000
HAI speaks out on drug industry sponsorship at 105th WHO Executive Board meeting

May 1999
At the 52nd World Health Assembly held in May 1999, HAI focused attention on this issue in a letter written to WHO's Director General. Below are related items of correspondence for those following this debate.
Letter to Dr Brundtland
NGO statement in support of HAI's letter
Response from Dr Brundtland

Drug industry sponsorship for health-related NGOs
December 1998
As public funding for health care initiatives continues to decline, more and more health-related NGOs are debating whether or not to accept funding from the pharmaceutical industry. HAI Europe held a one-day seminar to promote discussion on this issue. Below are various excerpts from that publication.
The Ties That Bind: Weighing the risks and benefits of drug industry sponsorship
(report description and ordering details)
Seminar report foreword
Table of contents