Interactive discussions take place at the UN on the safety of pharmaceuticals

Access to affordable and quality medicines is still not easy in many countries, especially in Africa. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than 10 percent of medicines circulating in developing countries are falsified or substandard medicines and that nearly half of them are located in sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, a study by the World Economic Forum shows that falsified medicines represent a market of USD200 billion per year.

Tackling the challenge of affordable and quality medicine worldwide – and especially in developing countries – was the focus of an interactive conference on ‘The safety of pharmaceuticals’, organized by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and Le Cercle (the francophone association of the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna), with the support of the Group of Francophone Ambassadors in Vienna (GAF).

“The fight against the issue of fake medicines is a cross-cutting issue, which requires multi-sectoral, collective and concerted responses, as well as active multilateralism to ensure access to quality medicines for all,” said Isabelle Durant, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). 

In this context, and to support policies on health, innovation, investment and trade, UNCTAD, WHO and OIF, together with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and UNIDO, have developed a project to strengthen partnerships to better respond to the reluctance of foreign investors to engage in developing countries, as well as to build up the capacity of the local private sector – in particular in terms of licensing agreements.

“The goal of UNIDO’s commitment in this area is to contribute to the improvement of people’s lives. In addition to the indirect impact on poverty reduction, local pharmaceutical production has a direct effect on economic development,” said Fatou Haidara, Managing Director at UNIDO, which has been involved in this sector for years.

“It is our strong conviction that strengthening local industries can play a vital role and that we can help countries meet the challenge of affordable and quality medicine by working together,” Haidara said. This was further highlighted by Annemarie Heuls, External Relations Officer at UNIDO, who pointed out that “more than two billion people in the world do not have access to the medicines they need.”

Original source: UNIDO
Published on 15 February 2019