By Correspondent Kenneth Simbaya
The United Nations Secretary-General’s
High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines in partnership with The Lancet and
in collaboration with the Centre for Commercial Law Studies, Queen Mary
University of London, hosts
the first of two Global Dialogues in London today (10 March 2016). The second
dialogue, co-hosted by the Department of Health, Republic of South Africa, will
take place in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 17 March 2016.
“The dialogues are a
unique opportunity for government, industry, civil society, and academia to
come together to discuss potential solutions for promoting innovation and
increasing access to medicines, vaccines and diagnostics, so that we can
improve the health and well-being of all people, in all countries as envisaged
by Sustainable Development Goal 3,” according to Ruth Dreifuss, former
President of Switzerland and co-chair of the High-Level Panel.
According to a press statement made
available to The Guardian, on 19 November 2015, United Nations
Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon announced the establishment of a High-Level
Panel on Access to Medicines. The Secretary General tasked the Panel with
proposing solutions to promote innovation and increase access to health
technologies in line with the aspirations of the recently adopted 2030 Agenda
for Sustainable Development.
“On 21 December 2015, the High-Level
Panel issued a Call for Contributions seeking input on how to better
align the rights of inventors, international human rights law, trade rules and
public health in order to improve innovation and access to health technologies.
The Panel was grateful to receive more than 170 contributions from government, industry, civil society, and
academia on potential solutions,” reads the press statement issued by The Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines.
“The response highlights that what we
are dealing with is a global emergency. People are dying, whether it is from
cancer, Hepatitis C, tuberculosis, or other diseases. In some cases medical
solutions exist but they are not available or accessible, and in other cases
increased investment is needed to help develop new lifesaving medicines,
vaccines and diagnostics,” said Michael Kirby, High-Level Panel Member and
Chairperson of its Expert Advisory Group.
Kirby added “The contributions provide
innovative thoughts and ideas, some seeking to strengthen existing mechanisms,
others more ambitious in proposing far-reaching reforms. All contributions
matter to us! They are united by one common thread that every child, woman and
man should benefit from the scientific excellence of medical innovators to
improve their health and well-being.”
The
Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines comprises 16
eminent, well-respected individuals with a deep knowledge and understanding of
the broad range of legal, trade, public health and human rights issues
associated with innovation and access to medicines and health technologies.
Ends
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