# \[e-med\] Communication de Health Action International à la réunion de l'ONU sur les maladies chroniques **URL:** \ **Category:** e-med\ **Created:** [September 15, 2011, 8:27am UTC](https://talk.edrugplus.org/t/e-med-communication-de-health-action-international-a-la-reunion-de-lonu-sur-les-maladies-chroniques/36090 "2011-09-15T08:27:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![c.bruneton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3ec8ea/32.png) [@c.bruneton](https://talk.edrugplus.org/u/c.bruneton)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 8:27am UTC](https://talk.edrugplus.org/t/e-med-communication-de-health-action-international-a-la-reunion-de-lonu-sur-les-maladies-chroniques/36090/1 "2011-09-15T08:27:09Z")
[message diffusé sur e-drug ce matin.CB] E-DRUG: HAI Briefing Note re UN High Level meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear E-druggers High medicine prices know no bounds - they affect all countries, all diseases, and affect all people (both directly and indirectly). But the greatest price is paid by those who suffer with a chronic non-communicable disease (NCD) and who are forced to pay for medicines out-of-pocket. Data in Health Action International's (HAI's) medicine price and availability database show that prices for NCDs are often high, treatments are not affordable for those on low wages, and availability is often abysmal especially in the public sector. So while effective treatments for the majority of the global NCD burden exist, universal access remains out-of-reach. HAI calls on delegates to the UN High Level meeting on NCDs next week in New York to refocus on the attainable goal of universal access to essential medicines as a core priority for the treatment of NCDs. Reliable, accessible, potentially cheap and effective treatments with generic medicines for the majority of NCDs such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and asthma are within our grasp. It is time to scale-up efforts to increase use of low-priced quality assured generic medicines. Donors need to recognise the paucity of support for essential medicines initiatives, globally, regionally and nationally, such as those by WHO, civil society and governments. In the longer term, donors should consider scaling-up support to establish a Global Fund for Essential Medicines for Non-Communicable Diseases that promotes universal access to low-priced generic medicines of assured quality and has the determination, resources and political will to drive a new era in access to essential medicines. To access HAI's briefing note 'Universal Access to Medicines for Non-Communicable Diseases: Within our Grasp but Out-of-Reach' go to [http://www.haiweb.org/medicineprices/](http://www.haiweb.org/medicineprices/) or [http://www.haiweb.org/](http://www.haiweb.org/) Access HAI's medicine price and availability database on [http://www.haiweb.org/MedPriceDatabase/](http://www.haiweb.org/MedPriceDatabase/) Regards Marg Ewe Coordinator, Global Projects (Pricing) HAI Global Amsterdam Email marg@haiglobal.org