[Random-bits] MSF on WHA Outcome

[James Love]

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Begin forwarded message:

From: Sheila.SHETTLE@geneva.msf.org
Date: May 27, 2006 6:44:30 AM EDT
To: Ip-health <ip-health@lists.essential.org>
Subject: [Ip-health] MSF on WHA Outcome


            World Health Assembly Passes Breakthrough Resolution
   MSF Hails Move as =91Crucial First Step=92 toward Global R&D Framework
That
                             Meets Health Needs

Geneva, Saturday May 27th 2006 - The medical humanitarian organisation
M=E9decins Sans Fronti=E8res (MSF) welcomes the breakthrough agreement on
essential health research and development (R&D) reached today by the
World
Health Assembly. With a resolution passed by the annual meeting of
health
ministers, governments today agreed to start talks to establish a global
plan of action to tackle the current crisis in R&D and to implement the
recommendations of the report of the Commission on Intellectual
property,
Innovation and Public Health (CIPIH).

=93The current system that is based on patents and high drug prices as the
way to finance R&D leaves huge health needs unmet, particularly in
developing countries, and it leaves millions without access to the drugs
they need,=94 said Ellen =91t Hoen, Director of Policy and Advocacy at MSF=
=92s
Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines. =93Without political
leadership,
the gaping holes in essential R&D and the lack of access to innovations
will never be adequately addressed. This week, we have seen health
ministers take the lead, and show that they want to set the priorities,
they want to find new ways of financing the development of new products,
and they want to assure access to innovations for all,=94 she added.

By passing the resolution that was based on an initial proposal by Kenya
and Brazil, countries are agreeing to work towards =93=85securing an
enhanced
and sustainable basis for needs-driven, essential health R&D.=94  This
will
ensure that patients=92 needs =96 and not simply profits =96 drive medical
innovation.

=93For the first time, we=92re starting to see action that begins to
mirror the
magnitude of the problems and needs that we witness everyday in our
field
programmes,=94 said Dr. Tido von Schoen-Angerer, Director of R&D at MSF=92s
Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines. =93This is a crucial first
step
that will help put in place new ways of stimulating R&D for health
problems
that so far industry has ignored,=94 he added.

Published in April 2006, the CIPIH report added to the growing body of
evidence showing that the system is fundamentally flawed because it
steers
investment towards areas of highest profitability, and thus fails to
find a
balance between global medical needs and resource allocation.

+++++++++++++++++++++
Sheila Shettle
Communications Officer
M=E9decins Sans Fronti=E8res
Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines
Rue de Lausanne 78
1211 Geneva
Switzerland
+ 41.22.849.8403
sheila.shettle@geneva.msf.org
www.accessmed-msf.org

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