GHTC sends FY19 letters to House and Senate appropriators

The Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC) announced today changes to its membership structure to better serve its existing membership and engage a broader group of global health research and development (R&D) stakeholders in its advocacy activities. Effective now, GHTC will begin offering three types of membership. Nonprofit and academic organizations, which currently comprise the GHTC membership, will change over to Advocate Members, and the coalition will introduce two new membership types—Associate Members for aligned private-sector companies and the Global Partners Network for counterpart nonprofits worldwide interested in the coalition’s multilateral advocacy. Effective immediately, GHTC will transition its existing member organizations to Advocate Members. In this role, these nonprofit members will continue to advise and help set the coalition’s US and multilateral advocacy strategy and priorities and operate as the core force driving forward GHTC’s advocacy activities through coalition working groups and direct engagement with policymakers. For the first time, GHTC will open its membership to private-sector companies whose work aligns with GHTC’s mission. As Associate Members, these private sector members will be able to inform and participate in certain coalition US advocacy activities, including joining public meetings and sign-on letters shaped by Advocate Members, as well as receive regular intelligence updates. To foster a network of advocacy organizations located around the world to inform and influence global health R&D policies at the multilateral level, GHTC has also launched the Global Partners Network. This membership type will be open to GHTC’s counterpart and aligned nonprofits and academic institutions in various countries and regions working to advance the global health R&D ecosystem. This network will share information on regional global health advocacy priorities and coordinate activities to advance supportive policies through key multilateral forums such as the World Health Organization, United Nations, and the G7/G20. “Creating new global health tools and getting them into the hands of people in need worldwide—more than ever—requires collaboration and partnership between multiple sectors and nations,” said Jamie Bay Nishi, GHTC’s Director. “GHTC is evolving its membership structure to better reflect this reality. We believe this new structure will encourage greater engagement in the coalition from a wider group of players in the global health R&D ecosystem, bringing both a broader and deeper set of perspectives and greater political force, as we work to advance policy solutions to accelerate the creation of new health technologies.” In addition to the new membership structure, GHTC has updated its institutional mission statement. GHTC’s Steering Committee approved the new membership structure and mission statement in February 2018 with the aim of increasing the impact and sustainability of the coalition. For more information about joining GHTC and membership benefits and pricing, email GHTC at jnishi@ghtcoalition.org.