E-drug: Conference on Access to Essential Drugs
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Dear E-Drug Members,
HAI would like to bring the following conference announcement on access to
essential medicines in Eastern Africa to your attention.
More information can be requested from the conference secretariat listed at
the end of the message.
With best wishes,
Lisa Hayes
HAI Europe
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EAST AFRICAN ACCESS TO ESSENTIAL MEDICINES CONFERENCE
IMPROVING ACCESS TO ESSENTIAL MEDICINES IN EAST AFRICA
Patents and Prices in a Global Economy
June 15 -16, 2000
Nairobi, Kenya
Organised by
M�decins Sans Fronti�res (MSF)
Health Action International (HAI)
Basic medical care is a human right and access to essential drugs is one of
the fundamental conditions for fulfilling the right to basic medical care
regardless of ability to pay. With the support of WHO, many developing
countries have improved access to essential drugs by implementing rational
drug use policies and programmes.
However, despite improvements in the use of resources, people continue to
die from treatable diseases because newer essential drugs remain out of
their reach. WHO estimates that one third of the world's population lacks
regular access to essential drugs. In the poorest areas of East Africa up
to
half of the population is without access to basic, essential medicines to
treat life threatening and chronic diseases.
This conference will highlight reasons that make many drugs priced beyond
the reach of the vast majority of East Africans and will look at new
strategies to dramatically reduce prices and increase access.
Objectives of the Conference
The East African Access to Essential Medicines Conference will explore
several aspects of the access crisis in East Africa (with a country focus
on
Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Ethiopia):
High prices of critical essential medicines such as second-line antibiotics
and treatments for opportunistic infections associated with AIDS: New
regional data on drug prices will be presented and compared with other
regions' prices showing evidences that in some cases East Africans are
paying drastically more for the same treatments.
Link between international trade regulations and the availability and
prices
of drugs: The real and perceived intellectual property problems. Sometimes
national medical stores and private drug distributors do not order less
expensive generic versions of drugs because they think multinational
companies have exclusive rights to market these products.
Legal strategies to improve access to affordable essential medicines where
new drugs are protected by patents: legal framework will be discussed,
including compulsory licensing and parallel imports, which are both allowed
under the TRIPS agreement.
National strategies and plans to be developed: How can governments and
civil
society, including NGOs, address these issues and thereby increase access
to
essential medicines; is it possible to gain the support of international
organisations and developed countries?
Problems related to the effective implementation of rational drug use
programmes such as lack of health care capacity and/or inadequate
diagnosis,
drug prescription or distribution will be touched upon, but will not be the
focus of this meeting. These are important issues but should not obscure
the
fact that the prices of drugs also dramatically affect access.
The conference is part of an important global process
March 1999 - more than 120 delegates from 30 countries met in Geneva to
examine compulsory licensing as a potential tool to address the crisis of
access.
May 1999 - the World Health Assembly adopted a resolution to the Revised
Drug Strategy that gave the WHO a formal role in helping countries to
maximise positive effects and minimise negative effects of international
trade agreements.
November 1999 - in Amsterdam approximately 300 people met in both plenary
and roundtable sessions to explore practical means of increasing access to
essential medicines.
December 1999 - the failed launch of the World Trade Organisation (WTO)
Millennium Round in Seattle USA. Developing countries said they would no
longer be marginalized in international trade relations; they demand to
participate fully and exert their rights.
February 2000 - Thai government has begun producing generic versions of two
AIDS drugs that are over 80 percent less expensive than branded products.
To whom is the Conference addressed?
Policy makers, government representatives (MoH), members of Parliament and
public institutions (patent office, food and drug administration);
Public and private hospital administrators, procurement and drug supply
professionals;
Representatives of proprietary and generic pharmaceutical companies;
Members of health professionals associations;
Academics, lawyers and experts concerned about access to essential
medicines
and human rights;
Members of NGOs focusing on health care delivery and policy, members of
consumer associations;
International Organisation officials;
National and international journalists covering health and pharmaceutical
issues;
Note: Participation will be limited to 150 people.
Preliminary Agenda
Conference Check-In will start on Wednesday 14 June 2000, from 14:00.
Thursday 15 June 2000
08.00 Conference Check-In (for late arrivals).
09.00 Welcome & official opening
09:15 National drug policy and new strategies for improving access: the
WHO offers new types of support to member countries Invited speaker: WHO
representative, Kenya
09:45 AIDS care in East Africa: Treatment without tools Chris Ouma, MSF,
Kenya
10:15 Sleeping Sickness, a forgotten disease Invited speaker: Ugandan
expert
10:45 Coffee/Tea break
11:15 Regional pharmaceutical market: domestic production vs. imports
Invited speaker: Representative of procurement organisation
11:45 World Bank policy and access to essential medicines Albertus
Voetberg,
World Bank, USA
12:15 Panel discussion with speakers
13:00 Lunch
14:30 Global trade agreements and local consequences: options under TRIPS
to
improve access to essential medicines Carlos Correa, University of Buenos
Aires, Argentina
15:00 Changing national policy: the South African experience Zackie Achmat,
Treatment Action Campaign, South Africa
15:30 Coffee/Tea break
16:00 Research and clinical drug development: developing countries role
Invited speaker: Elly Katabira, Uganda
16:30 Pharmaceutical Industry position on access Invited speaker:
International Pharmaceutical Industry representative
17:00 Panel discussion with speakers
18:00 Reception
Friday 16 June 2000
09:00 Patents and Pills This session will overview basic terminology
(patents, generic vs. brand drugs, counterfeit drugs) and will analyse how
the International Trade Agreements TRIPS affects local patents and prices.
Findings of an East African patent study that analyses regional patent
protection and compares them to other regions, such as West Africa, will be
presented. Drugs discussed will include azithromycin, ceftriaxone,
fluconazole, ciprofloxacin, AZT and nevirapine. Speakers: Catherine Gavin,
legal advisor, Switzerland; Ellen 't Hoen, International Drug Policy
consultant, The Netherlands; ARIPO official, Zimbabwe;
10:00 Panel Discussion: Understanding how to conduct patent research. What
are the steps to take if prices are high because of patent protection? How
to put into practice elements of TRIPS that can improve access? Will
changing national laws be necessary?
10:45 Coffee/Tea break
11:15 Pharmaceutical Pricing: law of the jungle This session will present
the findings of a recent regional pricing study and will analyse the huge
disparity of prices between countries or regions. The dynamics of generic
production and availability (e.g. imports) will be explored. A case study
for a leishmaniasis treatment will be presented. Speakers: Kirsten Myhr,
pharmacist, Norway; Joseph Mwangi, Centre for Drug Management and Policy,
Kenya; Hans Vecken, MSF, The Netherlands;
12:15 Panel Discussion: What can be learned from the data? Why such
intercountry variation? What role do tariffs and taxes play? Are exclusive
marketing rules raising prices? When patents are not the primary issue,
what
are strategies to lower prices? Are drug donations one part of the answer?
13:00 Lunch
14:30 3 Working groups - Developing Strategies/Solutions Three working
groups will address different questions and then report back in the plenary
session. These working sessions are designed to assist conference
participants in developing national strategies and action plans. Group 1 -
Defining Priorities: What are the priority problems that need to be tackled
for improving access to treatments for AIDS, malaria and resistant
infections? Group 2 - Tackling monopolies: What options can be utilised
when
only one producer has the right to manufacture a particular drug? How can
lower prices be negotiated from exclusive suppliers? How can you determine
if national laws need to be amended to enact features of TRIPS that can be
used to improve access? Group 3 - Building Coalitions: When building a
national or regional coalition to address these problems, who are the main
players? How can you create links to get international support? What
support
can be requested from international organisations such as the WHO?
16:30 Coffee/Tea break
17:00 Report from the three workshops
18:30 Conclusion & Closing remarks
Regional journalists involved in health issues will moderate all panels.
Conference Venue and language
The conference will be held in the Hilton Hotel, in the centre of Nairobi.
The official language of the conference will be English.
Registration procedure
There will be a registration fee to attend the conference of USD 250. A
subsidised rate of USD 125 is applicable for Regional or international
NGO's and other non-profit associations
Members of East African governments, parliaments, public administrations
and other institutions.
A limited number of grants will be accessible to participants. Participants
requiring financial assistance are requested to send an explanatory cover
letter, with full details of funding required and amounts clearly stated,
before 21 May 2000 to the Conference Secretariat together with the
conference registration form and hotel reservation form. Since there is
only
a limited amount of funding available, the organisers reserve the right to
select a certain number of participants, and their decision is final. All
those seeking funding will be informed of the decision of the organisers
and
of any conditions pertaining to their participating under the funding
arranged by the organisers by 31 May 2000.
Member of the Press are invited to contact the Conference Secretariat.
To register, please fill out the conference registration form and fax or
mail it to the Conference Secretariat before 31 May 2000. (Address below)
Hotel Accommodation
Hotel accommodation has been arranged at special rates with the Hilton. To
reserve a room, please fill out the hotel reservation form and fax or mail
it together with your conference registration form before 31 May 2000. For
those who wish to have information on less expensive accommodation, a list
of low budget hotels will be available upon request.
Programme Information
For more information on the programme of the conference please contact:
Access Conference Secretariat
MSF Nairobi Office
P.O. Box 38897, Nairobi
Tel.: +254 2 572094, 570021 or 570025 (extension 107)
Fax: +254 2 572157
e-mail: access.conference@msfb.or.ke
Additional and regularly updated information on the programme can also be
found on our website http://www.accessmed-msf.org
Key dates
Deadline for grants application: 21 May 2000
Deadline for registration and hotel reservations: 31 May 2000
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