E-DRUG: Oxfam/HAI report : Trading away access to medicines - revisited: please share
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Dear all,
Today, HAI Europe and Oxfam release a new paper entitled: 'Trading away
access to medicines - revisited: How the European trade agenda continues
to undermine access to medicines'
You can download it from:
http://oxf.am/KUPor
http://haieurope.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Trading-Away-Access-to-Medicines-Revisited.pdf
The release coincides with the hearing of the nominated European Trade
Commissioner, Cecilia Malmstrom, in front of the European Parliament,
and the start of the seventh round of Transatlantic Trade and Investment
Partnership (TTIP) negotiations between the EU and the US.__
Context
* Today, more than 2 billion people lack access to affordable medicines.
* The European trade agenda keeps the price of new medicines high by
imposing stringent intellectual property (IP) protection and
investment measures in 'free trade deals' that it negotiates with
countries such as India or Thailand.
* The controversial Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership
(TTIP) in negotiations between the EU and the US risks
threatening public health in Europe and setting a terrible
precedent for future trade deals between the EU and developing
countries.
* Europe's research and development (R&D) model, which relies on
strict IP rights, favours drug firms' profits over the health needs
of people living in developing countries.
* The European Commission defends in its trade policies the economic
interests of the powerful pharmaceutical sector at the detriment
of millions of people with no access to affordable life-saving
medicines.
In a nutshell, the report argues that:
* Insufficient innovation and a lack of access to affordable
medicines are major barriers to achieving the right to health in
low- and middle-income countries.
* The absence of a widely accessible Ebola treatment and the
prohibitively high price of new hepatitis C ($84,000 per treatment)
and cancer medicines//highlights the need to rethink our current
research and development (R&D) model which is failing us
* Innovative models that create new and affordable medicines should
be supported.
* Trade policies should not be used as a tool to defend strict
Intellectual property (IP) provisions* which put in jeorpardy access
to medicines in developing countries and beyond
* *TTIP**should not threaten public health* in Europe and set a
dangerous precedent for future trade deals between the EU and
developing countries.
Our objective
We are asking the new Trade Commissioner to use its new 5-years
mandate to lead on trade and R&D policies which:
* Meet health needs and do not favour commercial interests over
patients' needs
* Are aligned and coherent with EU's development and (global) health
objectives
Tweets
Please feel free to use the following tweets and the ones from HAI
Europe to help us publicize the report!
What's @EU_TTIP_team thinking? #TTIP could allow Big Pharma to sue
governments over unprofitable healthcare policy http://oxf.am/rbu
Exposed New @Oxfam & @HAIEurope report shows @EU_Commission trade
agenda threatens access to medicine for billions http://oxf.am/KUP
Should Big Pharma profits trump affordable medicine? Our new report
shows @Trade_EU seem to think so _http://oxf.am/rbu_
New HepC med could cure 150m ppl, but at $1000 a pill it won't. Our new
report shows how Big Pharma puts profits b4 people _http://oxf.am/KUP_
1st line HIV treatment prices have dropped by 99% since 2000. Cheaper
meds are possible but delayed by patent monopolies _http://oxf.am/rbu_
Please disseminate this email to anyone who could be interested
Cheers,
--
Leila Bodeux
Policy Officer Essential Services
Oxfam-Solidarité
Rue des Quatre-vents, 60
1080 Bruxelles - Belgique
Tel: + 32 2 501 67 56
Email:leb@oxfamsol.be
www.oxfamsol.be
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