About the Innovative Financing Advisory Group
With an estimated $75 to $95 billion needed per year to support global health systems and help attain the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, financing for global health products and services has become a critical issue. To help address these challenges, the Global Health Financing Initiative at Brookings has partnered with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which funds the initiative’s work, to convene a group of experts from various sectors of the commercial finance and pharmaceutical/biotech industries to work together on two broad areas:
- Assist with the process of due diligence in reviewing innovative financing grant proposals
- Offer creative financial solutions to presentations of current challenges in the landscape of global health financing
In short, the group will serve the dual purpose of a mini-think tank for commercial financing solutions for global health and a sounding board for the foundation, with Brookings acting as its secretariat. Examples of topics covered may include:
- Development of proposals to promote private investment in R&D for neglected diseases, such as:
- A structured fund for late-stage clinical trials
- A venture capital fund targeting developing country drug manufacturers focusing on neglected diseases
- A credit-enhancement mechanisms designed to off-set the risk to manufacturers of uncertain demand for new products
Development of financing mechanisms to smooth the volatility of aid flows entering recipient countries, such as:
- Securitization of donor commitments for global health
- An endowment for health systems development
- Review of proposals designed to generate development funds, such as:
- Currency transaction taxes (or, stamp duties on foreign exchange) to raise revenue for global health and development
The advisory group meets periodically to discuss related policy issues and proposals. Please contact Amanda Glassman at Brookings to learn more.
View the list of Advisory Group Members.