Quotes of support for International Health Partners

International Health Partners has received worldwide expressions of support, including those from the following:

Government and Political Parties

The Rt. Hon Tony Blair MP PC
The Rt. Hon Michael Howard MP PC
The Rt. Hon Charles Kennedy MP PC

Mr Hilary Benn MP, Secretary of State for International Development
Mr Stephen Timms MP Financial Secretary to the Treasury (full text of speech here)
Ms Jacqui Lait MP, Shadow Minister of Civil Society

Overseas Governments

Government of the Maldives
Government of Sri Lanka

Medical and Professional Bodies

British Medical Association, Jeremy Strachan, Secretary
Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland, Bob Lane, President Elect

NGOs and Agencies

United Nations, Ben Plumley, Chief of Executive Office, UNAIDS, Geneva
Health Partners International of Canada, John Kelsall, President

Industry

Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, Vincent Lawton, President
Association of British Health-Care Industries, John Wilkinson, Director General
British Association of Pharmaceutical Wholesalers, Martin Sawer, Executive Director
British Generic Manufacturers Association, Simon Clark, Chairman
Proprietary Association of Great Britain, Sheila Kelly, Executive Director

Full Texts of the Quotes Follow:

Government and political parties

The Rt. Hon. Tony Blair MP, The Prime Minister

“I would like to pass to you all today my warmest congratulations on the launch of International Health Partners. Your innovative partnership will enhance our ability to bring much needed medical help to relieve the suffering of many in the two thirds world.

In the United Kingdom, there are many concerned and caring businesses, healthcare professionals and charities, large and small, who either make the products or have the personal expertise and skills so desperately needed by those in the developing world. They have wanted to play their part but there have been neither the channels nor the opportunities. Your venture brings together, for the first time in the UK, the five key stakeholders required if all of us are to play our part – Government, the medical community, NGOs, the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries and caring citizens.

I would like to call on businesses and their employees today across the nation to review their corporate social responsibility programmes and to partner with International Health Partners. Your venture will also provide an opportunity for many healthcare professionals to make a direct personal difference by donating their skills and expertise. I welcome your commitment and initiative. The Government looks forward to working with all of you as we jointly seek to meet the Millennium Goals to relieve international poverty and improve the health of those in the poorest countries of our world.”

The Rt. Hon. Michael Howard MP, Leader of the Conservative Party

“On behalf of the Conservative Party I would like to welcome this new public private partnership. We can only start to address the healthcare challenges faced by the developing world by harnessing all of our resources and expertise behind those on the ground overseas.

International Health Partners is an excellent example of how a partnership approach can bring together disparate stakeholders from the public, private and voluntary sectors. I welcome their model of encouraging partners to work more closely together in a strategic way to deliver both immediate humanitarian aid and long term sustainable healthcare solutions.

I commend you all to see how you can play a part in this new venture.“

Charles Kennedy MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Party

"International Health Partners will provide an important and potentially groundbreaking opportunity in the distribution of medicines and medical supplies from the UK for relief and development in the Third World.

There are key areas in which the delivery of medical aid and the development of medical capacity in the developing world is hindered. IHP will potentially overcome these problems and, in doing so, provide a significant boost to the quality and volume of medical care in the Third World."

"This is a model that has worked successfully in other countries, and I very much hope this can be repeated here in Britain.”

Hilary Benn, the Secretary of State for International Development - commenting on IHP's Tsunami response

“I greatly welcome this initiative from the UK's pharmaceutical and medical supplies industries. These medicines and supplies will help the medical teams on the ground and, by having International Health Partners liaising closely with these teams, we can ensure that what is needed gets delivered. The Department for International Development is happy to support this initiative.”

Jacqui Lait MP, Shadow Minister for Civil Society

“Individuals and community groups across the nation are asking how they can make a personal difference to the humanitarian disasters that fill their television screens and newspapers. International Health Partners provides a really practical way in which concerned individuals can directly increase the amount of healthcare to where it is most needed. By working with the industry to donate medicines, each pound donated delivers between £10 and £15 of medicines on the ground.”

Overseas Governments

Responding on behalf of the Sri Lankan Government to the relief work of IHP after the tsunami, High Commissioner Faisz Mustapha said: “These industry donations of antibiotics, pain killers, vitamins, and antiseptics will save many lives. Such a coordinated and timely airlift of precisely the medical supplies we require has only been possible because IHP acts as a ‘one stop shop’ for UK industry donations.”

High Commissioner Hassan Sobir, speaking on behalf of the Government of the Maldives, added: “The tsunami has destroyed a large number of the hospitals and clinics in our small country. This donation of medical supplies will go a long way to re-supply and equip these centres. Heartfelt thanks go to British industry and IHP from our people.”

Medical and Professional Bodies

The Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland

“The Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland welcomes the establishment of International Health Partners. We are committed to working with them to bring about a new collaboration between companies in the healthcare industry, the medical profession and NGOs overseas. Such a practical, ‘on the ground’, partnership approach is needed if we are to tackle the desperate health needs of those in the Developing World.” (RHS (Bob) Lane, President Elect, ASGBI)

The British Medical Association

“This is a timely development and good news for the medical community in the UK. We hope that International Health Partners’ Travel Packs will enable individual physicians, surgeons and nurses to play their part and make a personal difference to the lives of the many thousands suffering through lack of adequate healthcare in the developing countries of the world.” (Jeremy Strachan, Secretary, BMA)

NGOs and Agencies

United Nations, Geneva

“UNAIDS welcomes the establishment of IHP to help bring a coordinated approach to the provision of donated healthcare supplies to help alleviate the medical challenges faced by the developing world. If we are to deal with these urgent and immediate problems, then the way forward is also to develop innovative partnerships such as those IHP exemplifies." (Ben Plumley, Chief of Executive Office, UNAIDS, Geneva)
 
Health Partners International of Canada

“We are pleased to give our unqualified support and assistance to International Health Partners as they establish their operations in the UK. We believe that this new initiative will lead to, and facilitate, further collaboration between our two Governments and the industry in Canada and the UK.

We are committed to seeing how we can jointly help tackle the often seemingly intractable problems encountered in many regions of the Developing World and ensure that donations of quality, in-date essential healthcare supplies get safely to where they are most needed.” (John Kelsall, President, HPIC)

The Pharmaceutical and Medical Supplies Industry

Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry

"This is an exciting new initiative, and it is also a first for the UK".

"Working in partnership with the pharmaceutical industry, Government and NGOs, IHP will be able to substantially increase the amount of foreign medical aid provided to the neediest countries in the world." (Vincent Lawton, President, ABPI)

Association of British Health-Care Industries

“Many members of the ABHI are very active in donating medical devices and financial support to the developing world. The practicalities of getting aid to those in need is often a significant barrier and if International Health Partners can help to eliminate these potential barriers I am sure that it will be good for all, especially those in most need of help” (John Wilkinson, Director General, ABHI)

British Association of Pharmaceutical Wholesalers

"The British Association of Pharmaceutical Wholesalers is delighted to be able to offer its support to International Health Partners. We believe that the IHP scheme holds tremendous potential for contributing to the health needs of the developing world".
 
"The business of pharmaceutical wholesalers is to make sure medicines are stored and distributed safely and effectively. Wholesalers also understand the value of delivering medicines quickly and efficiently to where they are needed and they know that IHP shares that outlook. That's one of the many reasons why our members are keen to embrace this scheme and help make it work".
 
"Pharmaceutical wholesalers are committed to providing whatever they can to help IHP and, as an Association, we relish the opportunity to be involved. But we've also got the commitment of all the other major stakeholders - from ministers, to NGOs - and, with everyone's efforts, I'm convinced that this scheme can save or enhance thousands of lives across the world." (Martin Sawer, Executive Director, BAPW)

British Generics Manufacturers Association

“The BGMA welcomes and supports this exciting and far reaching initiative to enable the industry to work in the best interests of patients throughout the world, wherever they may be and irrespective of their economic power.” (Simon Clark, Chairman of the BGMA).  

Proprietary Association of Great Britain

“I am very pleased that PAGB and its companies are supporting this great project. The first doctor's pack includes OTC products, the first of many, which will allow essential medicines to reach countries where they are badly needed.” (Sheila Kelly, Executive Director, PAGB)

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This site was updated on 23.05.07