How a tourism officer became a key link between his community and health facilities

Author: Lilian Kaivilu | Producer: Dorothy Okemo In our blog series “Four tales from Narok County, Kenya” we put the spotlight on the healthcare situation of people living in this district, with…
HAI Admin
4 March 2021

A 20km walk to buy a face mask and no essential medicines: Tales of a lone health worker in Ololung’a’s only health facility – photo essay

Author: Lilian Kaivilu | Producer: Dorothy Okemo In our blog series “Four tales from Narok County, Kenya” we put the spotlight on the healthcare situation of people living in Narok…
HAI Admin
11 February 2021

Pharmaceutical promotion: how does it impact rational use of medicine?

Pharmaceutical promotion: how does it impact rational use of medicine? Every year, Health Action International (HAI) accepts a few bright and ambitious students into its internship programme at our Amsterdam…
HAI Admin
19 October 2020

COVID-19 exposes weak health systems

In Health Action International’s 40 years exploring and offering solutions to the eternal problem of weak health systems, we have never encountered a situation in which these weaknesses were so…
HAI Admin
1 September 2020

COVID-19 and Snakebite: Including the voices of our most marginalised

In the summer of 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched its highly anticipated global strategy on snakebite envenoming. It was a historical milestone that triggered a pipeline of funding…
HAI Admin
6 August 2020

The significant impact of Health Technology Assessment discussions on national health systems

Every year, Health Action International (HAI) accepts a few bright and ambitious students into its internship programme at our bustling Amsterdam headquarters. This provides valuable educational experience for students who are interested in conducting…
HAI Admin
24 July 2020

Barriers and facilitators of access to Internationally Controlled Essential Medicines in Kenya

Every year, HAI accepts a few bright and ambitious students into its internship programme at our bustling Amsterdam headquarters. This provides valuable educational experience for students who are interested in conducting research and/or advocacy…
HAI Admin
16 June 2020

Clinical trials and COVID-19

This piece was written by HAI intern Simon Geukes. Developing viable vaccines and treatments to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic is a research priority worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO)…
HAI Admin
28 May 2020

COVID-19 And Its Far-Reaching Health Impacts in Sub-Saharan Africa

As the COVID-19 crisis continues to hold the world in its grip, more and more stories and prognoses are emerging about its impact on other aspects of life and health….
HAI Admin
8 May 2020

Why TRIPS flexibilities are a crucial mechanism for access to medicines

Every year, HAI accepts a few bright and ambitious students into its internship programme at our bustling Amsterdam headquarters. This provides valuable educational experience for students who are interested in conducting research and/or advocacy…
HAI Admin
7 May 2020

In defence of WHO

It’s very easy to take a pop at the World Health Organization. We do it ourselves – the overheads, the salaries, the business class travel (the fact that as a…
Tim Reed
21 April 2020

The hidden impact of COVID-19 on sexual and reproductive health

This piece was written by guest contributer Denis Kibira, Executive Director of our partners, HEPS-Uganda. Late January 2020 in my hotel room in Mombasa on the side-lines of a Health…
Denis Kibira
17 April 2020

Reversed gains in the advancement of SRHR in Kenya; effects of COVID-19

This article, by MeTA Kenya Coordinator, Dorothy Okemo, was originally published by Access to Medicine Platform, our partner in Kenya working on the Health Systems Advocacy (HSA) Partnership, and snakebite…
HAI Admin
14 April 2020

To tackle COVID-19 pandemic, transparency and collaboration are vital

The COVID-19 pandemic is putting societies and their public health systems to an excruciating test, both in the Global North and Global South. The pandemic also lays bare existing shortcomings…
HAI Admin
9 April 2020

COVID-19, social determinants and frontline workers

Against a background of a world in the grip of COVID-19, the global health community is celebrating the work of nurses and midwives on World Health Day and remembering the…
HAI Admin
7 April 2020

Health Action International Working from Home

Following the advice of the Dutch Government, Health Action International will continue to work from home until at least 28 April 2020. We are very much aware that we are…
HAI Admin
1 April 2020

Niets magisch aan medicijnprijzen

Geloof jij in magie? Het is lastig te begrijpen hoe farmaceutische bedrijven de kosten van nieuwe medicijnen bepalen. Farmaceuten houden de werkelijke kosten van biomedisch onderzoek en ontwikkeling (R&D) en…
HAI Admin
27 February 2020

Nothing magical about medicine prices

Do you believe in magic? Even for the greatest cynics amongst us, it’s difficult to explain just how pharmaceutical companies determine the cost of medicines they market. Pharmaceutical companies rely…
HAI Admin
20 February 2020

US puts pressure on the Netherlands over compulsory licenses

The Embassy of the United States has entered the debate around high priced medicines in the Netherlands and released a statement that expresses concern about the Dutch government’s exploration of…
Alex Lawrence
31 January 2020

A busy week at the Court of Justice of the European Union

Two significant announcements have hugely contributed to the transparency and access to medicines movement in the EU this week. The announcements came from the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the…
Ellie White
24 January 2020

How to measure change in EU Policy

It can be difficult to reflect on the importance of achievements as they occur. As another year approaches however, it’s the perfect opportunity to think back on the key moments…
HAI Admin
18 December 2019

Health Technology Assessments: will 2020 end the deadlock?

For the last few years Health Action International (HAI) has been working on the issue of joint Health Technology Assessments (HTA). In short, HTA looks at added value of a…
Ellie White
17 December 2019

Is clinical trial transparency under threat?

Last month, HAI and TranspariMED hosted an event in the European Parliament on the issue of clinical trial transparency. The conversation was fruitful – with representatives of the European Commission, the European Medicines…
HAI Admin
21 November 2019

An insightful day at the EURIPID stakeholder meeting in Budapest

Research Assistant, Janneke van Oirschot, recently attended a EURIPID Stakeholder meeting in Budapest. Have a go at seeing if you can make sense of this “non-transparent” version of Janneke’s blog…
HAI Admin
25 October 2019

Halving snakebite deaths and disabilities by 2030 – How can we reach WHO’s goal?

By Benjamin Waldmann In 2019, estimates suggest that at least 138,000 people will have died and a further 400,000 will be left with permanent disabilities from snakebite. Under-reporting in rural…
HAI Admin
10 October 2019

Gender mainstreaming, sustainability and the future of HSA: Partners gather in Kenya for the JAP 2019

Against the backdrop of beautiful Lake Naivasha, members of the Health Systems Advocacy Partnership gathered in Kenya to reflect on past successes, and discuss next steps. The partnership, formed in…
HAI Admin
1 October 2019

Biased cancer drug trials are only good for one group…and it’s not patients

A new study in The BMJ, partly funded by HAI, found that half of cancer drugs approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) between 2014 and 2016 were based on…
Ellie White
27 September 2019

A Momentous Week for Access to Medicines

by TIM REED, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR This week, in New York, World leaders joined together to adopt a UN Political Declaration on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in what has been billed…
HAI Admin
25 September 2019

Working together to end the suffering of pregnant women and families – Photo Essay

A simple complication during pregnancy can lead to devastating consequences for Ugandan families. Preeclampsia affects between 2-8% of pregnant women worldwide. For Ugandan women however, a diagnosis of preeclampsia could…
HAI Admin
5 September 2019

Lack of access to ICEMs has disastrous consequences for many. So what’s being done?

This post is part of a two-part series about access to ICEMs. Read about what ICEMs are, and why access is such a problem for so many. In June 2019,…
HAI Admin
15 August 2019