Nearly 2,000 People Living With HIV along with MSF & other civil society organisations rallied in the streets of New Delhi at the start of the EU-India summit.
Photo:Siddharth Singh
Geneva/New York — The US and European Union delegations to the World Health Assembly are currently blocking efforts to move towards a binding convention on health R&D aimed at filling critical medical gaps for people in developing countries. The international medical humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders (MSF) urged the US and European governments, who are leading the developed country effort, to stop obstructing a process that has been ten years in the making and has broad support from developing countries. MSF called on developing countries to continue efforts to progress towards a convention.
Such a convention would require all governments to contribute financially to support R&D in key priority areas and would crucially separate—or de-link—the cost of R&D from the price of medical products, so that these are made affordable.
“Our medical staff know what it means to be in front a sick patient and not have the medicines or tools to treat them because they’re too expensive or they just don’t exist,” said Dr. Tido von Schoen-Angerer, Executive Director of MSF’s Access Campaign. “People in developing countries have waited too long for there to be a global response to their health needs—we can’t afford to stand by and watch a handful of developed countries derail this effort.”
Such a convention would require all governments to contribute financially to support R&D in key priority areas and would crucially separate—or de-link—the cost of R&D from the price of medical products, so that these are made affordable.
“Our medical staff know what it means to be in front a sick patient and not have the medicines or tools to treat them because they’re too expensive or they just don’t exist,” said Dr. Tido von Schoen-Angerer, Executive Director of MSF’s Access Campaign. “People in developing countries have waited too long for there to be a global response to their health needs—we can’t afford to stand by and watch a handful of developed countries derail this effort.”
MSF is supporting two health centers, carrying out nutrition activities and implementing water and sanitation improvements in a temporary displaced persons site.
Photo:Juan Carlos Tomasi
A binding global R&D convention was one of the key recommendations of a landmark expert report issued in April by the World Health Organization that examined the critical gaps in health R&D in developing countries. Discussions among governments this week have revealed there is broad support to move toward a convention, especially among developing countries such as key emerging economies that are ready to take on a bigger role in health R&D.
“We are especially surprised to see the US taking such a hardline position, since they already meet the level of financial contributions to medical R&D suggested in the expert report,” said Michelle Childs, Director of Policy and Advocacy at MSF’s Access Campaign. “It’s high time that all countries move towards a sustainable solution to fix the market failure of the current R&D model and meet the needs of the majority of people on the planet. Developed countries must stop blocking progress.”