G20 Foundation Publications China 2016 | Page 98

HEALTHCARE CREATING A GLOBAL FOOTPRINT: TARGETING PRESSING PUBLIC HEALTH NEEDS The scientifi c community has made signifi cant progress in eff orts to extend and enhance human health. By developing treatments and vaccines to reduce the burden of some of the most debilitating diseases of our time, we have dramatically improved health outcomes for people worldwide. Despite such progress, critical challenges remain, such as persistent infectious disease threats that put at risk hundreds of millions of people globally, coupled with an unprecedented rise of non-communicable diseases and chronic conditions. We continue to see new outbreaks that threaten human well-being, such as the emergence and amplifi cation of global pandemics in the form of the Ebola and Zika viruses. Moreover, the upsurge of antibiotic resistance, deemed one of the greatest public health emergencies of our time by the World Health Organization (WHO), is also undermining the painstaking progress we have made. To eff ectively tackle such an array of global public health challenges, we must continually explore new ways to develop novel drugs, diagnostics, and partnerships that ensure vulnerable communities have access to essential tools that will keep 98 them healthy. Actors across sectors must work together to leverage the strengths and expertise of their unique perspectives and ca pabilities. Shared goals require shared plans of attack to combat diseases that continue to threaten the well-being of vulnerable populations. At Johnson & Johnson and its Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies, we are committed to protecting the health of people today and for generations to come. Thoughtful collaborations that spur on- going innovation are critical to this end. Putting innovation at the core of our R&D strategy propels our activities in the laboratory, and inspires novel collaborations with the world’s best scientists and entrepreneurs. Through partnerships with leading organizations in science and policy, we aim to accelerate innovation around the world as well