Germany Increases Engagement for Product Development Partnerships (PDP) Funding
As a result of longstanding advocacy efforts of German NGOs as well as the support of many German Parliamentarians and international stakeholders active in Research and Development (R&D), Germany is currently looking into an increased engagement for PDP funding. As a result of a joint letter of six PDPs, the German Ministry of Education and Research invited PDP representatives to a meeting in order to bring in their expertise as the Ministry is currently drafting a PDP funding concept. Parallel, DSW together with three other NGOs launched the "Call to Action: We need more R&D for Poverty Related and Neglected Diseases" that calls for a PDP budget line and which will be handed over to Research Minister Schavan in June 2010.
Parliamentary Breakfast on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Population Growth
On April 23rd, Christine McCafferty, British Member of Parliament, spoke at a Parliamentary breakfast of DSW's Parliamentary Group (PG) on Population and Development. In her speech, she presented the activities of the United Kingdom’s All-Party Parliamentary Group with a special focus on several hearings on the linkage between the achievement of the MDGs and population growth. She highlighted that the MDGs will not be achieved without bigger investments in family planning programs in developing countries. This meeting was a kick-off for a Parliamentary resolution on MDGs and population growth that will be initiated by members of DSW’s PG on Population and Development.
Hearing of Global Fund and GAVI in German Parliament and reference to DSW
In the run up to the Global Fund (GF) Replenishment Conference in October 2010 in New York, representatives of the GF and GAVI were invited to present their organization's work and funding needs to the Parliamentary Committee on Economic Cooperation and Development on April 21st.
Both organizations used this opportunity to highlight their specific assets such as transparency, results based performance of projects, cost effectiveness of implementation, as well as to call upon German Parliamentarians to ensure continuation of their work beyond 2010 and to reconsider the cap on multilateral spending. Most Parliamentarians from different political parties honoured the organization's important work. However, the German Development Ministry could not report on any potential funding increases for the GF or GAVI.
