Wemos in the media

Pharma companies can ask whatever price they want (in Dutch)

In an opinion piece in Dutch national newspaper Trouw, Ella Weggen (expert on Access to Medicines) calls for action to increase transparency in the pharmaceutical sector. Lack of transparency leads to extreme prices of new drugs, which weigh heavily on healthcare budgets.

Article - Trouw - 26/6/2025

Guest essay: Turn words into action for greater transparency in pharmaceutical markets

In a joint guest essay for Geneva Health Files, Aliénor Devalière (Wemos), Alice Beck and Jaume Vidal (Health Action International) argue that governments around the world must step up efforts to increase the transparency of pharmaceutical markets.

Article - Geneva Health Files - 22/5/2025

EU countries: shortages lead to increasing competition on the job market (Luxembourgish)

In a radio interview for Luxembourg public radio 100,7, Wemos' director Mariëlle Bemelmans talks about the health workforce shortages in the European Union and calls for EU level political will and collaboration, not competition, to solve the crisis.

Radio - Luxembourg public radio 100,7 - 26/2/2025

Opinion: EU needs to halt rich member states poaching doctors and nurses

In an opinion article for EUobserver, Wemos director Mariëlle Bemelmans calls on the new EU Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare, Olivér Várhelyi, to stop EU Member States' competition for each other's scarce health workers and instead spearhead united European action to address Europe's health workforce crisis.

Article - EUobserver - 10/2/2025

Opinion: Trump risks a global health crisis, will the Netherlands stand idly by? (in Dutch)

In an opinion in De Volkskrant, Wemos director Mariëlle Bemelmans says the Netherlands and the EU must counter President Trump's drastic decisions on WHO, foreign aid and USAID, which acutely endanger millions of lives.

Article - De Volkskrant - 4/2/2025

Opinion: Vaccines for Africa by Africa

In a joint opinion article for Think Global Health, Wemos director Mariëlle Bemelmans and Afya na Haki director Moses Mulumba call for regional production of medicines in, for and by Africa.

Article - Think Global Health - 19/12/2024

Guest essay: Financing: don’t let it be an afterthought in the pandemic agreement

Wemos global health advocates Mariska Meurs and Koen Scholten wrote a guest essay in the Geneva Health Files presenting recommendations on how to ensure sustainable fair financing of pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.

Article - Geneva Health Files - 22/10/2024

Opinion: Help Africa make its own vaccines (in Dutch)

In an opinion article in Dutch newspaper NRC, Wemos director Mariëlle Bemelmans argues that the Netherlands (and other high-income countries) must contribute to Africa becoming less dependent on the Global North for access to medicines and vaccines.

Article - NRC - 12/10/2024

Health comes before profit (in Dutch)

Article in the magazine of the Dutch association of gastroenterologists about Wemos and our campaign for fair medicine prices (from page 163).

Article - Magma - 10/9/2024

Opinion: The best policy for youth is policy by youth

Shila Ukumbini Salim (Kilifi Youth for Sustainable Development), Elizabeth Warindi (youth panel member in the Make Way programme in Kenya), and Julia Hochberger (Wemos), wrote an opinion article in Devex. They say that, if governments want to protect and enhance the well-being of their nation’s youth, which includes SRHR, they must give young people seats at the table.

Article - Devex - 22/8/2024

Opinion: Netherlands, help stop tax abuse (in Dutch)

In an opinion article in NRC, Barbara Fienieg (Wemos) and Arnold Merkies (Tax Justice Netherlands) call on the Netherlands to cooperate fully in the creation of the UN tax treaty. Currently, countries are losing billions of dollars through large-scale international tax evasion. Governments can put this money to good use for public services, such as healthcare.

Article - NRC - 20/8/2024

Petition against high prices of medicines (in Dutch)

NOS Radio 1 News interviews Ella Weggen (medicine policy expert at Wemos) about the petition against high medicine prices that Wemos is presenting to MPs today.

Radio - NOS Radio 1 Journaal - 14/5/2024

Opinion: Government subsidises profits of pharma companies and patients lose out (in Dutch)

The government should attach conditions to public investments in development of medicines to ensure public access to affordable products. So argue Wemos director Mariëlle Bemelmans and Kai Figueras de Vries, national coordinator of UAEM-NL, in an opinion piece in Zorgvisie.

Article - Zorgvisie - 1/5/2024

Opinion: why the Netherlands should continue to invest in global health (in Dutch)

Wemos director Mariëlle Bemelmans explains why it is much needed that the Netherlands continues to invest in global health. The article was published a day before the debate on the Dutch global health strategy by the Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Committee on 4 April 2024.

Article - De Volkskrant - 3/4/2024

‘Six billion people today have access to medicines. So a lot has been achieved’ (in Dutch)

An interview with Wemos founder Wilbert Bannenberg about his battle for equal access to medicines for everyone worldwide. A conversation about his ideals, Wemos, his time in Africa, the pharmaceutical industry and more.

Article - De Volkskrant - 15/3/2024

Who Will Finance Countries’ Pandemic Response: Pandemic Fund, WHO or a New Entity?

During a press conference held by G2H2, Mariska Meurs (Wemos), Nicoletta Dentico (Society for International Development) and Prof Garrett Wallace Brown (University of Leeds) discussed key aspects of financing under the Pandemic Treaty, including the administration of the Pandemic Fund.

Article - Health Policy Watch - 12/3/2024

Foreign doctors fight for fair treatment in France

In this article about foreign doctors in France, global health advocate Corinne Hinlopen of Wemos explains that the lack of their recognition violates the spirit of the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel.

Article - Le Monde Diplomatique - 1/3/2024

Opinion: Netherlands should force pharmaceutical companies to be transparent about prices of medicines (in Dutch)

Opinion article by Mariëlle Bemelmans (Wemos), Arthur Schellekens (Patiëntenfederatie Nederland), Audrey Gaughran (Somo) and Wilbert Bannenberg (Pharmaceutical accountability Foundation) on the role of the Dutch government in enforcing transparency from pharmaceutical companies on medicine prices.

Article - Algemeen Dagblad - 3/11/2023

Opinion: Make medicines affordable – without going to court

Opinion by Tom Buis (Wemos) and Wilbert Bannenberg (Pharmaceutical Accountability Foundation) in Politico Europe stating that governments can and must take control to prevent extreme medicine prices.

Article - Politico Europe - 11/7/2023

Urgency felt but political will missing, says health workforce expert

An interview with Corinne Hinlopen from Wemos about the urgent need for EU member states to take the lead in addressing the health workforce shortages in Europe, and for the EU to support them by establishing monitoring and funding schemes.

Article - EURACTIV - 5/6/2023

This minister does stand firm in negotiations on expensive medicines (in Dutch)

Tom Buis reacts in the FD to the news that Minister Ernst Kuipers said no to pharma companies asking very high prices for two new medicines.

Article - Het Financieele Dagblad - 16/4/2023

Health workers’ intra-EU migration causes headaches

A European Special Report on health workers' intra-EU migration, with stories from Poland, Bulgaria, Romania and Brussels.

Article - EURACTIV - 17/3/2023

Lawsuit against pharmacist of most lucrative medicine: ‘High price violates human rights’ (in Dutch)

The Pharmaceutical Accountability Foundation sued pharmaceutical company Abbvie for the high prices of Humira, the world's most lucrative drug that helps rheumatoid arthritis, among other conditions.

Article - De Volkskrant - 21/2/2023

You cannot leave the distribution of healthcare personnel to the market (in Dutch)

While there is a shortage of healthcare workers all over Europe, the wealthier European countries are recruiting healthcare workers from other parts of Europe. Often leaving the countries of origin empty-handed.

Article - Vrij Nederland - 14/12/2022

Opinion: Keep vaccine developer Intravacc in government hands (in Dutch)

Opinion article in newspaper NRC. With the announced sale of Intravacc, the Minister of Health is missing an opportunity to show how global access to vaccines can go hand in hand with financially sound operations.

Article - NRC - 25/8/2022

Opinion: Netherlands, ensure that the pandemic disappears everywhere in the world (in Dutch)

Together with the directors of Aidsfonds, Artsen zonder Grenzen (MSF), Cordaid, ONE Campaign and Oxfam Novib, Wemos’ director Marielle Bemelmans plead the Dutch government in the newspaper Trouw to ensure vaccine equity.

Article - Trouw - 1/3/2022

A first: pharmaceutical company shares patent on corona pill with 105 low- and middle-income countries (in Dutch)

Article in De Volkskrant about pharmaceutical company Merck sharing their patent on their virus-inhibiting corona pill with 105 low- and middle-income countries. With quotes by Tom Buis, global health advocate at Wemos.

Article - De Volkskrant - 28/10/2021

A review says ACT-A should continue. Experts say changes are needed.

Devex interviewed our global health advocate Amanda Banda, who was selected as civil society representative for the health systems connector of the Access to Covid-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A), about the review of this global collaboration.

Article - Devex - 14/10/2021

Opinion: Pharmaceutical companies must share knowledge around vaccines during pandemics (in Dutch)

Opinion article in newspaper Trouw on vaccine inequality and the role of pharmaceutical companies.

Article - Trouw - 3/9/2021

Advocate sharing of patents, know-how, and technology to maximize vaccine production

Guest article by Ella Weggen en Marianne Meijer of Wemos for the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA).

Article - European Public Health Alliance - 8/7/2021

Opinion: Dutch opposition to releasing patents for corona vaccines is based on persistent myths (in Dutch)

Joint opinion piece with Oxfam Novib and Cordaid in De Volkskrant.

Article - De Volkskrant - 21/6/2021

Opinion: No need to fear a Wild West when releasing patents (in Dutch)

Opinion article by Mariëlle Bemelmans in Het Financieele Dagblad.

Article - Het Financieele Dagblad - 21/5/2021

Opinion: Secrecy in vaccine deals undermines public trust (in Dutch)

Opinion article in Trouw by Marianne Meijer, global health advocate at Wemos.

Article - Trouw - 8/1/2021