[Pharm-policy] MSF Press Release on Drug Prices

[James Love]

For immediate release                               
June 16, 2000       

Contact:
New York - Kris Torgeson, 212-655-3764, 917-913-0183
Nairobi - Samantha Bolton, +254-72-513981
                                
P R E S S   R E L E A S E

New Study Shows East Africans Pay More
Than Europeans For Life-Saving Drugs
--Regional leaders call for action--
     
Nairobi, June 16, 2000 - The international movement to increase access to
life-saving medicines gained momentum today, as government and civil
representatives from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and 17 other countries
met to devise a regional strategy at a conference in Nairobi. The conference,
"Improving Access to Essential Medicines in East Africa - Patents and Prices in
a Global Economy," was organized by Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without
Borders (MSF) and Health Action International (HAI)
     
"The data presented today confirm our suspicion that Kenyan drug prices are not
only equal to, but actually higher than European prices," said Kirsten Myhr of
Health Action International, who presented a pricing study at the conference.*
"The figures show that the entire region is suffering from reverse equity - the
poor are paying more than the rich."
     
Among the many examples cited in the new study is that of the potent antibiotic,
ciprofloxacin, which was found to be twice as expensive in Uganda as in Norway.
Similarly, an earlier study comparing retail prices of drugs showed the same
disturbing pattern: ten out of 13 commonly used drugs are more expensive in
Tanzania than in Canada. The huge disparity in average income between the two
countries also means that a Tanzanian would have to work 215 days to buy these
13 drugs, while a Canadian would only have to work 8 days. 
     
Another telling example is fluconazole, a treatment for AIDS-related meningitis.
In Thailand, where generic competition has lowered prices, fluconazole costs
only USD $0.30. However, this same drug costs USD$ 18.00 in Kenya, where it is
patent protected. Dr Christopher Ouma, AIDS project coordinator for Médecins
Sans Frontières (MSF) in Kenya said: "I am tired of not being able to treat
patients because the medicines are too expensive. Africans should not be dying
because of inability to pay when effective medicines can be available at
affordable prices. This is already the case in countries such as Thailand,
India, and Brazil."
   
The causes of high prices of medicines in East Africa include strong patent
protection, high tariffs, taxes, and a lack of generic competition. The issues
of high taxes and tariffs and the stimulation of generic competition need to be
addressed directly by national governments. Much of the discussion amongst
conference delegates focused on strategies to enact legal safeguards to remedy
abuses by drug companies. Within existing international trade rules, such
safeguards include parallel importing (the right to shop around for the best
prices of branded products) and compulsory licensing (granting limited
production rights to generic producers).
     
"Within existing international trade regulations, Kenyans have the power to
ensure that medicines are affordable and accessible," said Professor Carlos
Correa, an intellectual property expert. "But, these essential legal safeguards
have still not been built into the Kenyan Industrial Property Bill." This bill
is designed to bring Kenya into compliance with WTO rules and will be considered
by parliament in the coming weeks. 
     
Dr. Amukowa Anangwe, Kenyan Minister for Medical Services, underlined the need
to balance public health needs with private profit: "It is essential to ensure
that the right to issue compulsory licenses and to allow parallel importing are
included in our national legislation," he said. 
     
Another report presented at the meeting, 'Patent protection and medicines in
Kenya and Uganda,'* calls on governments to ensure these safeguards and to
include the Ministry of Health and health professionals when negotiating and
adopting trade agreements. 
     
     
* 'Pharmaceutical Pricing: law of the jungle' by Kirsten Myhr, for Health Action
International - June 2000.
     
* 'Patent protection of medicines in Kenya and Uganda' by Pascale Boulet, for
Médecins Sans Frontières, June 2000. 
     

NOTE: Copies of the papers can be obtained by contacting Kris Torgeson at
212-655-3764 or Kris_Torgeson@newyork.msf.org or on the MSF Access to Essential
Medicines Campaign website www.accessmed-msf.org

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John F. Albanese
Donor Relations Coordinator
Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres USA
6 East 39th Street, 8th Floor
New York, NY 10016
212-655-3759
john_albanese@newyork.msf.org



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Consumer Project on Technology | mailto:love@cptech.org 
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