[Ip-health] MSF statement at the IGWG

[James ARKINSTALL]

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Dear all,=0D
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Please find below the statement delivered by Medecins Sans Frontieres today=
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at the Intergovernmental Working Group on public health, innovation and=0D
intellectual property meeting this week in Geneva.=0D
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The PLoS article referred to in the statement can be found here:=0D
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http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=3Dget-document&doi=3D10.=
1371/journal.pmed.0040293=0D
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MSF's 6 page commentary on the WHO draft strategy and plan of action that=
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is being negotiated at the IGWG can be found here:=0D
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http://www.who.int/phi/public_hearings/second/contributions_section1/Sectio=
n1_tHoenEllen-MSF.pdf=0D
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James=0D
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MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES / DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS=0D
INTERVENTION AT IGWG=0D
Thursday 8th October 2007=0D
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Thank you Mr Chairman.=0D
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My name is Michel Lotrowska and I am speaking on behalf of M=C3=A9decins Sa=
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Fronti=C3=A8res =E2=80=93 Doctors Without Borders.=0D
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M=C3=A9decins Sans Fronti=C3=A8res=C2=B4 doctors are struggling in our tube=
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programmes in the face of overwhelming odds.=0D
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We have neither adapted tests to detect TB or to determine resistance, nor=
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drugs that are effective enough to respond to the HIV co-epidemic and the=
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spread of ever more resistant strains of tuberculosis.=0D
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When drugs do exist for other diseases such as HIV/AIDS, they are often=0D
priced out of reach, or not adapted to poor settings.=0D
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It is precisely for this reason that we have come to the IGWG with high=0D
expectations.=0D
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We are looking to this process to break the cycle of neglect that diseases=
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such as TB have suffered from for decades, and to provide solutions to the=
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access to medicines crisis.=0D
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We are not the only ones with high expectations. This week, a group of TB=
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experts outlined in the journal Public Library of Science Medicine - PLOS -=
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new ways to accelerate TB drug development, making specific reference to=0D
the work you are doing here.=0D
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We welcome the number and the scope of proposals that countries are putting=
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on the table.  We are encouraged by the willingness of delegations to=0D
arrive at an agreement where we will have health needs-driven innovation=0D
PLUS access.=0D
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We also see that progress is slow. This is perhaps to be expected, given=0D
that the issues that need to be resolved are both controversial and complex=
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- and will perhaps require more time than the allocated six days to=0D
resolve. Rome was not built in a day.=0D
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The recommendations of the CIPIH report will help guide the IGWG in the=0D
task ahead.=0D
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The IGWG should not limit itself to a limited set of diseases. The IGWG=0D
should help identify R&D gaps in type I II and III diseases, determine=0D
financing needs to fill these gaps, and discuss mechanisms to make sure new=
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essential health products reach people that need them.=0D
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The IGWG should not support text that could be construed as going beyond=0D
the obligations under the TRIPS agreement.=0D
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The plan of action should unequivocally support the full use of the=0D
flexibilities enshrined in the Doha Declaration to enable generic=0D
competition to bring the price of essential health products down, without=
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waiting years for patents to expire. And it must give WHO a strong role to=
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make this happen.=0D
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Finally, we are particularly encouraged that the IGWG embraces the idea of=
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exploring new mechanisms for financing innovation, such as an essential R&D=
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treaty.  After all, the mission of the IGWG is to a find mechanisms to=0D
finance the cost of R&D, in a such a way that innovations are available and=
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are affordable from day one.=0D
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Thank you.