E-DRUG: MSF: DOHA anniversary meeting
-------------------------------------
Dear All,
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Doha Declaration on the
TRIPS Agreement and Public Health, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) is
hosting a conference, 'Revising TRIPS for Public Health: Can TRIPS be
reformed to meet public health needs?'
Date & Time: 21 November 2011 from 1.30pm - 6.00pm, followed by a drinks
reception.
Location: Le Club suisse de la presse, Route de Ferney 106, 1202 Geneve
'Revising TRIPS for Public Health' will bring together the winners of the
MSF ideas contest on revising TRIPS, with leading thinkers in the access to
medicines movement to explore this idea.
Please RSVP your attendance to DohaPlusTen@paris.msf.org
Registration is required as numbers are limited. Full details and a copy
of the agenda are available online at:
http://www.msfaccess.org/content/revisingtrips
In November 2001, all WTO Member governments agreed to the Doha Declaration
on TRIPS and Public Health. The Doha Declaration made clear that TRIPS
“should not prevent members from taking measures to protect public health”
and that the TRIPS Agreement “should be interpreted and implemented in a
manner supportive of WTO members’ right to protect public health and, in
particular, to promote access to medicines for all.” The Declaration also
unequivocally clarified that countries had the right to make use of
flexibilities in TRIPS, such as compulsory licensing, to overcome patent
barriers to affordable drugs. Ten years after the Doha Declaration, has
the promise been kept?
Today, equitable access to medicines for the majority of the world's
population is at best precarious and innovation for diseases
disproportionately affecting developing countries remains neglected. This
raises the question as to whether fundamental changes to the global IP
system - starting with the TRIPS Agreement itself - are needed in order to
ensure both access to medicines and innovation that meets the health needs
of the poor.
Joanna Keenan
Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines
Medecins Sans Frontieres
joanna.keenan[at]geneva.msf.org