Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #113115

Peter Ahern, Mr, Axios Foundation, 33610 Solon Road, Cleveland, OH 44139, +1-440-498-9151, peter.ahern@axiosfoundation.org

At the global level, the issues surrounding the pharmaceutical sector spotlight real and potential conflicts between free market enterprise and public health policy. The pharmaceutical industry is a powerful engine in global economic development, and shocks to that industry can send the stock market index down. Industry development strategies are naturally designed to maximize profits in lucrative (and relatively healthy) markets with minimal attention to maximizing health status around the world, and these strategies have attracted increasing sharp criticism from civil society, which sees health as a human right and public good. This panel will include presentations on four recently established and innovative organizations who are responding to these basic conflicts in the pharmaceutical sector, including:

Axios was founded in 1997. It consists of Axios International, a private consultancy company involved in program design, development, research and management, and The Axios Foundation, a non-profit company that implements programs and models in developing countries. The consultancy company manages the product donations given to the non-profit. Axios specializes in healthcare systems with a focus on chronic disease management and drug delivery, integrating local resources and priorities. HIV/AIDS and cancer, two of Axios' specialties, share the fact that the advent of treatment has converted them from deadly to chronic diseases. Since healthcare delivery in developing countries is generally not organized to manage chronic patients, Axios' systems approach addresses this gap to better the conditions of care for all patients. For its clients and donors Axios designs and manages worldwide philanthropy programs; develops and implements models for large-scale field execution; provides full management services for medical product Access and Donation programs; defines and executes field research to orient health policy; evaluates an existing program and provides specialized data analysis. Axios has offices in the US, Ireland, France, Uganda, South Africa, Tanzania, Burkina Faso, and Nigeria.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe how economic incentives and health as a public good are in conflict within the pharmaceutical sector.
• Describe, discuss and evaluate creative organizational responses to this conflict.

Keywords: Organizational Change, Access

Related Web page: www.axios-group.com/en/

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commertial supporters WITH THE EXCEPTION OF The Abbott Laboratories Fund is a major donor to The Axios Foundation, and Axios International manages drug donation programs for the following pharmaceutical companies: Gilead Sciences, Pfizer, Novartis, Abbott Laboratories, and Boehringer Ingelheim.

Recorded presentation