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ACCESS TO ESSENTIAL MEDICINES
EUROPEAN COMMISSION TO STRENGTHEN ITS EFFORTS IN THE FIGHT
AGAINST HIV/AIDS, MALARIA AND TUBERCULOSIS
The European Commission has adopted a comprehensive policy
framework to strengthen its efforts in the fight against
HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis. The strategy confirms
poverty reduction as the overall focus of its efforts. For
the first time it also proposes to address these three
diseases in the context of human rights and human security.
Furthermore it proposes a coherent response to the three
diseases across all of its external relations. The European
Commission has allocated over € 1,1 billion to fight the
three diseases from 2003 – 2006.
European Commissioner for Development and
Humanitarian Aid, Poul Nielson, stressed: “During the last
five years this Commission has been busy attacking HIV/AIDS,
malaria and TB from all possible perspectives be it
development, trade, research or health. With the adoption of
the new policy framework the Commission is well placed to
remain at the forefront of the fight against these three
killer diseases”.
Worldwide an estimated 6 million people die from HIV/AIDS,
malaria and TB every year, the nature and spread of the
diseases is changing and the financing gap remains. In order
to respond to these new challenges and building upon the
lessons learned from its earlier Programme of Action the
Commission has adopted a comprehensive policy framework that
covers all implicated areas, including trade, development,
research, health and external relations.
The focus of the new strategy remains
poverty reduction. HIV/Aids, TB and malaria are both a
consequence of, and a cause of, poverty. However for the
first time the EC sets these diseases against other policy
frameworks: (i) human rights are addressed as there is a
clear need to avoid further marginalisation and
stigmatisation of high risk groups; (ii) the implications
for human security are also considered as HIV/AIDS in
particular is decimating communities and destroying social
cohesion; and (iii) a coherent response to the three
diseases is formulated across all its external actions (i.e.
moving beyond a purely development focus).
While confirming the approach already
taken, the new strategy also identifies a number of new
areas where actions need to be taken,: (i) increasing health
related capacity in national development plans; (ii)
enhancing the regulatory capacity of third countries
including the their ability to approve clinical trials and
grant market authorisations; (iii) promoting investment in
the local production of pharmaceutical products in third
countries: for example for insecticide-treated bed-nets or
combination therapies for malaria; (iv) further reducing
prices of pharmaceutical products by working further on the
issues of tiered pricing, price transparency, and
competition; and (v) continuing work to support the research
and development of new tools and interventions such as
vaccines and microbicides.
Background
In 2001 the Commission adopted a Programme for Action on
confronting HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB in developing
countries. This Programme has been successful in focusing EU
actions in these areas. More than € 1,1 billion has been
allocated to fight the three diseases from 2003 – 2006 (a
four fold increase compared to the allocations in the period
1996 – 2002 ) which has made it possible to realise
significant achievements over the last 4 years. The price of
anti-retrovirals to treat people living with HIV/AIDS in
developing countries has been reduced by up to 98%. And
research has accelerated into new tools and interventions
such as microbicides and vaccines against malaria, TB and
HIV/AIDS.
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