Improving Access of the Poor to Essential Drugs and Key Drugs for Major Disease in Developing Countries

Human and Social Development Issues a

pharmaceuticals and the development of
international health public goods - such as
vaccines for those diseases - are required.
Initiatives, such as the Malaria and HIV/AIDS
vaccine, will hopefully bring greater
understanding of the needs and potential
solutions, and should help to develop new systems
to deal with international public goods through
partnerships and innovations.
This calls for international institutions and
development agencies to create new mechanisms
to finance the investments in international
public goods. which should lead towards a new
framework for international co-operation in
addition to the existing aid and trade
agreements.
The EC has already played an active role in the
world trade related debate on improving access to
medicines through such fora as the WVTO. the

Cairo Summit, the US-EU Summit, G8 and WHO.
The Commission has been active in the same area
within the framework of the LOME Convention
(EU-ACP Joint Assemblee), in the broader
framework of coordination with the Member
States. the World Bank and through the EU-HTIO
partnership. The Commission is also involved
with NGO initiatives.
It is preparing a Communication to Council and
Parliament on these issues. and will soon convene
with WHO a roundtable to further consult with
partners and stakeholders.
These efforts should be necessarily combined
with actions aimed at improving the health
delivery systems in developing countries, with a
continuing efforts on preventive work (girls
education. among others) and adapted training.

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