NEW YORK – The West African Health Organization (WAHO) of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and UNAIDS have called for a new paradigm in international cooperation that will promote local production of ARVs, other AIDS related commodities and essential medicines, with the final aim of making them accessible and affordable to all those in need.
The call was made in collaboration with partners from the private sector, communities, and people living with HIV during the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Ending AIDS, in New York, United States of America.
They agreed that reversing, and ultimately ending AIDS as a public health threat, require implementing the fast-track approach and achieving the 90-90-90 targets – 90% of all people living with HIV know their HIV status, 90% of all people diagnosed with HIV will receive sustained antiretroviral therapy and 90% of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy will have durable viral suppression. This involves promoting local production of antiretroviral medicines alongside the removal of structural barriers to access, and an overall strong system for health.
However, the stakeholders noted that substantial progress has been made in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) through the ECOWAS Regional Pharmaceutical Plan 2014-2020. This plan, supported by the West African Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (WAPMA), and developed within the framework of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plan for Africa (PMPA) of the African Union, draws on the AIDS response as a catalyst. However Africa is still highly dependent on imported medicines with about 80% of its antiretroviral medicines being manufactured abroad. The main barriers impeding local production are limited markets; high-dependency on external aid for medicines; and fragmentary cooperation between local manufacturers, technical and development partners, and national authorities.
This high-level session elaborated on the meaning of the concepts of health commodities security and medicines as public goods, and showcased the efforts of Africa, in particular the ECOWAS region, towards achieving these goals. So far, 4 local manufacturers have acceded to the WHO Good Manufacturing Practices standards, and the plan is to reach an additional 10 by 2020. Among the key recommendations made were: further efforts to secure a regional market security, rapid progress for regional regulatory harmonization and joint venture for local production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API).
The key speakers had this to say:
“High dependency on imported medicines also reduces the foreign currency reserves of the continent. African countries must unite and work together in partnership with countries that have experiences in the domain to produce quality medicines, competitive and affordable to Africans” – Marie Awa Coll-Seck, Minister of Health, Senegal.
“Cipla is ready to support African efforts for local pharmaceutical production as we are already doing for Uganda, and more importantly Africa needs to also invest heavily on production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and we are also ready to support” – Dr Yusuf K. Hamied, Chairman CIPLA and Member of United Nations Secretary General’s High Level Panel on Access to Medicines
“If we want optimal local pharmaceutical production in Africa today, then engaging in law and policy reform to maximize the use of trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPS) flexibilities is a prerequisite. We need to explore the role of institutions (like Medicines Patent Pool) to include small generic companies from Africa” – Othoman Mellouk, International Treatment Preparedness Coalition ITPC
“In addition to giving a chance to the people living with HIV to live longer, the local pharmaceutical production would promote youth employment. We have young bright minds on the continent and we must put them to good use” – Mathilde Akoh Takiratou, International Coalition of Women Living with HIV (ICW) West Africa (also member of African youth delegation to the High Level Meeting)
“African Leaders must look for resources on their own to procure ARV’s from Local Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and collaborate with them to share this vision of attaining the vision by 2030. If we are given guaranteed market, then we will give medicines to the last mile” – Dr Yaw Adu Gyamfi, Chairman DANADAMS and member of West African Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association
“We will continue advancing the ECOWAS Regional Plan and it is comforting to see these landmark pledges of support, including from highest leadership of CIPLA. I have no doubt that under the new leadership of Liberia as Chair of ECOWAS and continuing support of UNAIDS and partners, we will be able to fast-track and meet our commitments” – Dr Xavier Crespin, Director General, West African Health Organization (WAHO)
“We need to acknowledge our great progress in the region, but key obstacles remain: delay in national regulatory harmonization, absence of market security and too-low domestic investments in health. Against this, continuing highest-level commitments and broad partnerships between WAHO and UNAIDS, UNIDO, WHO, UNDP, World Bank and others, will make the difference” – Dr Djibril Diallo, UNAIDS Regional Director, WCA
“We regularly observe a delay of around 10 to 15 years for new medicines to become available in Africa when we know that the most recent are the most effective … but also the most expensive. There is nothing worse as injustice”. Philippe Douste-Blazy, Under-Secretary General of the United Nations, Special Advisor to the United Nations Secretary-General on Innovative Finance for Development.
‘’The time has come and Africa is taking charge. It can draw elements of its rich human wealth force to make antiretroviral drugs and other essential health commodities” – Paul Biyoghe Mba, First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Health, Welfare and National Solidarity of GABON
‘’We have 12 generic manufacturers licensed from the MPP that are actively distributing generic medicines in developing countries but none is yet from Africa. We are looking to provide flexibility for local producers and it is time to continue regional cooperation with international partners like in the west Africa, and make loans accessible in order to make that reality’’ – Dr Greg Perry, Executive Director, Medicines Patent Pool.
