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 - 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
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 - 3/11/2023
Make medicines affordable – without going to court Opinion by Tom Buis (Wemos) and Wilbert Bannenberg (Pharmaceutical Accountability Foundation) stating that governments can and must take control to prevent extreme drug prices. Article - Politico - 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
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
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 firstl: pharmaceutical company shares patent on corona pill with 105 low- and middle-income countries (in Dutch) Article in De Volkskrant about pharmaceutical Merx sharing patent on virus-inhibiting corona pill with 105 low- and middle-income countries. With quotes by Tom Buis Wemos' global health advocate. 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
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 & Marianne Meijer, Global Health Advocates at Wemos Article - European Public Health Alliance - 8/7/2021
Dutch opposition to releasing patents for corona vaccines is based on persistent myths Joint opinion piece with Oxfam Novib and Cordaid in De Volkskrant Article - De Volkskrant - 21/6/2021
Fear of Wild West when patents are released unnecessary Opinion article by Mariëlle Bemelmans in Financieele Dagblad. Article - Het Financieele Dagblad - 21/5/2021
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