[Pharm-policy] New York conference on neglected diseases

[David_VEAZEY@amsterdam.msf.org]

The Crisis of Neglected Diseases:
Developing Treatment and Ensuring Access

Sponsored by Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in
conjunction with Continuing Education & Public Programs, The Graduate
Center, CUNY

October 4, 2001, New York City

Register on the web: www.neglecteddiseases.org
Or by phone: 212-817-8215

General conference queries:
access-nyc@newyork.msf.org
212-847-3153

Neglected diseases kill millions of people around the world each year.
These are infectious diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, sleeping
sickness, and kala azar that predominantly affect poor people in Africa,
Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. Research and
development for new medicines are at a virtual standstill. Those medicines
that do exist are increasingly effective because of drug resistance or
simply unavailable because producers cannot expect an adequate return on
investment. For some diseases no treatment exists at all because
researching and developing treatments would be unlikely to result in
profitable drug sales.

Defining the Crisis  (9:00 - 12:00 PM)
What is the extent of the crisis? How does it impact patients and doctors
around the world? What are the challenges in creating sustainable research
and development programs for different neglected diseases? The Drugs for
Neglected Diseases working group and an international panel of experts will
address these and other critical questions.

Seeking Effective Solutions (1:00 - 5:00 PM)
What needs to be done? Who should do it? How can we build an effective
international response that involves key players and ensures
accountability? Afternoon sessions will feature international leaders in
health policy, research, industry and government discussing proposals for
significant changes in how research and policy are done.

Speakers will include (alphabetical):

* Dr. Jean-Pierre Garnier, CEO, GlaxoSmithKline
* Laurie Garret, Author of The Coming Plague and Betrayal of Trust
* Dr. David Heyman, Executive Director for Communicable Diseases, World
Health Organization
* Dr. Philippe Kourilsky, Director, Pasteur Institute
* Professor David Ofori-Adjei, Director, Noguchi Memorial Institute for
Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra
* Dr. Carlos Morel, Director, World Health Organization Special Program for
Research & Training in Tropical Diseases
* Dr. Morten Rostrup, President, MSF-International Council
* H.E. Dr. Chandreshwar Prasad Thakur, Union Minister for Health & Family
Welfare, India

Conference Goals:

* Present the culmination of two years of research into the access crisis
by the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Working Group, an independent,
interdisciplinary group of international experts.
* Raise public awareness about the crisis and its impact on millions of
people worldwide.
* Engage key players in the field - from researchers to pharmaceutical
companies to governments - in exploring alternative models for drug
development and access to treatment.

Film & Discussion: Wednesday, October 3, 7pm - 9pm

A film will be shown the evening before the conference at the same location
entitled, "Your Money or Your Life" - a new documentary by Belgian
journalist Michel Peremans on HIV/AIDS, sleeping sickness, and the access
crisis. Join the director and MSF for a discussion following the film.

David Veazey
MSF-USA
access-nyc@newyork.msf.org
212-847-3153