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Treating multi drug resistant TB and HIV/AIDS in Manipur, India

Access to medicines

Unaffordable, unavailable, not adapted - people around the world face these challenges in accessing lifesaving medicines.

During the 1990s, MSF teams made a bitter observation: we were failing to treat some of our patients suffering from infectious diseases, while in developed countries, remarkable progress was being made in the field of health. Two decades on, medicines in developing countries are still either too expensive, aren't suitable to be used in many of the contexts in which we work (for example, in hot, humid conditions or where there's a lack of electricity), or simply don't exist for the diseases we need to treat.

In 1999, we launched the Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines, now known as the Access Campaign. Its mission focuses on three areas: overcoming barriers to access to essential medicines, stimulating research and development for neglected diseases, promoting health exceptions to global trade agreements.

In 2003, MSF joined several research institutes, including the Institut Pasteur, to create the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), a non-profit research and development organisation engaged in research and development of new treatments for neglected diseases.

 
Website

MSF Access Campaign

msfaccess.org
 
Tuberculosis

The XDR-TB emergency will require new strategies and new tools: business as usual would be fatal

Press Release 30 Oct 2006
 
South Africa

Lusikisiki celebrates 2,200 people on ARV treatment at hand-over ceremony

Press Release 12 Oct 2006
 
India

As Novartis challenges India's patent law, MSF warns access to medicines is under threat

Press Release 26 Sep 2006
 

Groups urge rapid review of Canada's law on generic medicines for export

Press Release 18 Aug 2006
 
Access to medicines

Call for moratorium on trade provisions that threaten access to medicines or treatment programmes

Project Update 17 Aug 2006
 
Access to medicines

New MSF data shows treatment of children works in resource poor settings

Press Release 15 Aug 2006
 
Lebanon

Even for MSF, it is far from easy to get drugs and medical supplies to Lebanon

Project Update 14 Aug 2006
 
Democratic People's Republic of Korea

African sleeping sickness in the DRC

Project Update 19 Jul 2006
 
Access to medicines

WHA passes breakthrough resolution hailed by MSF as 'crucial first step' towards global R&D framework that meets health needs

Press Release 29 May 2006
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30 August 2019