UN Initiative On Access To Medicines Calls For Contributions

The United Nations Secretary-General’s newly formed High Level Panel on Access to Medicines launched a call for contributions by stakeholders at the end of December, in an effort it says could transform millions of lives.

The High-Level Panel seeks to address “one of the greatest public health challenge of our time,” which is “how to promote innovation and increase access to medicines, vaccines, diagnostics and related health technologies in low-, middle-, and high-income countries,” according to a press release.

A call for contribution was issued on 21 December for interested stakeholders. The panel seeks to find solution to address “the misalignment between the rights of inventors, international human rights law, trade rules and public health where it impedes the innovation of and access to health technologies.”

The closing date for contributions is 18 February 2016. Shortlisted contributions will be invited to participate in one or two hearings in March, the release said.

According to the panel, the call for contributions is open to governments, for-profit companies, research institutions, non-profit organisations, academic institutions, legal experts and patient groups. The panel will consider “contributions that promote research, development, innovation and increase access to medicines, vaccines, diagnostics and related health technologies to improve the health and wellbeing of all, as envisaged by Sustainable Development Goal 3, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development more broadly.”

“One smart idea could transform millions of lives,” the panel said in the release.

See more at (IPW, Public Health, 16 December 2015).