New opportunity to fix Canada's access to medicines regime: Statement by civil society groups

Click here to download a printable pdf version of the endorsed statement below.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

We welcome today the introduction of Bill C-398, a critical humanitarian bill to reform Canada’s flawed Access to Medicines Regime (CAMR).  After nearly eight years of waiting for Canada to deliver on its pledge to help get more affordable medicines to African and other developing countries, Parliament once again has an important opportunity to enact meaningful change on the global stage by saving lives and ending needless suffering worldwide.

In 2004, Parliament unanimously passed legislation creating CAMR, with the laudable goal of ensuring access to affordable essential medicines to the world’s poor.  Unfortunately, CAMR in its current form has failed: in nearly eight years, it has resulted in only one licence being issued to authorize the export of one order of one AIDS drug to one country (Rwanda).  There is little prospect that it will get used again unless it is fixed. 

Bill C-398 will streamline CAMR by cutting the current regime’s unnecessary red tape that has made it so difficult to use.  Central to the bill’s proposed amendments is the introduction of a “one-licence solution,” which would allow a generic manufacturer to obtain a single licence for a given pharmaceutical product; this would allow manufacturers more flexibility to supply eligible countries with medicines as their needs for medicines for HIV or other public health problems evolve over time.

The need for access to affordable medicines is as urgent as ever.  In the developing world, 15 million people with HIV need treatment under international guidelines from the World Health Organization.  Latest estimates are that only 6 million — or 40 percent of those in need — are receiving it.  For children with HIV, access to treatment is even worse.  Roughly half of all children born with HIV will die before reaching their second birthday if they don't have the medicines they need. The majority of these deaths are preventable and Canada can help prevent them — provided there is the political will to help make medicines available to those in need by fixing a broken CAMR to supply generic medicines at more affordable prices.

CAMR reform has the support of medical and legal experts, human rights organizations, physicians, faith leaders, health activists and international aid workers both across Canada and internationally.  Dozens of prominent Canadians have also supported the need for CAMR reform, and 80 percent of the public supports fixing CAMR according to a national opinion poll. 

Furthermore, in the last Parliament, a bill to fix CAMR with the “one-licence solution” passed through the House of Commons with a large majority, including support from MPs belonging to all parties, before it ran out of time in the Senate when the election was called.  With the introduction of today’s bill, those reforms are again before the House of Commons — and supporters of fixing CAMR now have the opportunity to finally get the job done.

We look forward to welcoming a similar piece of legislation in the Senate of Canada.  We would like to extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to the Members of Parliament and Senators from all parties who have supported the need for CAMR reform and have worked hard to put this legislation forward.  Access to affordable medicines remains an important humanitarian issue that transcends partisan politics.  All Parliamentarians and all parties should be united in supporting sensible reforms to streamline CAMR and make it work.

Endorsed by:

  • AIDS Saint John
  • Bracelet of Hope
  • Canada Africa Partnership on AIDS (CAP/AIDS)
  • Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network (CAAN)
  • Canadians for CAMR
  • Canadian Hemophilia Society
  • Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network
  • Canadian Labour Congress
  • Canadian Society for International Health (CSIH)
  • Canadian Treatment Action Council (CTAC)
  • Canadian Working Group on HIV and Rehabilitation (CWGHR)
  • Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange (CATIE)
  • Coalition des organismes communautaires québécois de lutte contre le sida (COCQ-SIDA)
  • Dignitas International
  • Interagency Coalition on AIDS and Development (ICAD)
  • Grandmothers Advocacy Network (GRAN)
  • Oxfam Canada
  • People’s Health Movement Canada
  • Plan International Canada
  • Positive Living BC
  • RESULTS Canada
  • The CTN - CIHR Canadian HIV Trials Network
  • UNICEF Canada
  • United Church of Canada
  • Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM)
  • Victoria AIDS Resource & Community Service Society (VARCS)

The call to fix CAMR has also been endorsed by:

  • 2-Spirited People of the First Nations
  • Access AIDS Sudbury
  • Action Canada for Population and Development
  • Africafiles
  • African and Caribbean Council on HIV/AIDS in Ontario
  • Africans in Partnership Against AIDS
  • AIDS Action Now!
  • AIDS Bow Valley
  • AIDS Calgary Awareness Association
  • AIDS Coalition of Cape Breton
  • AIDS Comittee of Chatham-Kent
  • AIDS Committee of Kitchener, Cambridge, Waterloo and Area
  • AIDS Committee of London
  • AIDS Committee of Ottawa
  • AIDS Committee of Toronto
  • AIDS Committee of Windsor
  • AIDS New Brunswick
  • AIDS Program South Saskatchewan
  • AIDS Saskatoon
  • AIDS Thunder Bay
  • Alberta Community Council on HIV
  • Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention
  • ANKORS: Kootenay AIDS Service
  • Asian Community AIDS Services
  • The Assembly of First Nations (AFN)
  • Blood Ties Four Directions Centre
  • British Columbia Nurses’ Union
  • BRAS Outaouais
  • Bruce House — Ottawa
  • Bureau Regional d'Action SIDA (BRAS)
  • Central Alberta Addictions Consortium
  • Canada Africa Community Health Alliance
  • Canadian Association of HIV Research
  • Canadian AIDS Society
  • Canadian Association of Nurses in AIDS Care
  • Canadian Auto Workers Canada
  • Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace
  • Canadian Coalition on HIV/AIDS and Youth in Africa
  • Canadian Council for International Co-operation
  • Canadian Crossroads International
  • Canadian Federation for Sexual Health
  • Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions
  • Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW)
  • Canadian Feed The Children
  • Canadian Hunger Foundation
  • Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief (CPAR)
  • Canadian Public Health Association
  • Canadian Support of Rural African Initiatives
  • Canadian Union of Public Employees
  • CARE Canada
  • Carleton University AIDS Awareness Society
  • Center for International Studies and Cooperation
  • Centre for International Health
  • City of Prince Albert
  • Commission de la sante et des service sociaux des premieres Nations Quebec et Labrador
  • Conception Bay North AIDS Interest Group Inc.
  • CUSO
  • Defence for Children International Canada
  • Healing Our Spirit
  • Help Lesotho
  • Hiiye'yu Lelum Society
  • HIV North Society
  • HIV Network of Edmonton Society
  • HIV Society of Southeastern Alberta
  • Hummingbird Kids Society
  • International Council of AIDS Service Organizations (ICASO)
  • KAIROS – Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives
  • New Heights Community Health Centres
  • Maison Plein Coeur
  • Manitoba Nurses’ Union
  • Mennonite Central Committee
  • National Congress of Black Women's Foundation
  • National Union of Public and General Employees
  • New Brunswick Nurses Union
  • Newfoundland and Labrador Nurses’ Union
  • Northern AIDS Connection
  • North-South Institute
  • Nova Scotia Nurses’ Union
  • Oasis Health Centre
  • Ontario Council for International Cooperation
  • Ontario First Nations HIV/AIDS Education Circle
  • Ontario HIV Treatment Network
  • Ontario Nurses’ Association
  • People to People Aid Organization (Canada) Inc.
  • Positively AFRICA
  • Positive Women's Network
  • Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund
  • Prince Edward Island Nurses’ Union
  • Public Service Alliance of Canada
  • Rights & Democracy
  • Sandy Hill Community Centre
  • SIDALYS
  • SHARP FOUNDATION
  • Saskatchewan Union of Nurses
  • Save the Children Canada
  • SIDACTION (Trois-Rivieres)
  • Stella
  • STOP TB Canada
  • Students Against Global AIDS
  • The Marquis Project
  • Tsewulhtun Health Center Cowichan Tribes
  • Transition House Association of New Foundland
  • Transition House Association of Nova Scotia
  • Union for Improved Services, Communication, and Education
  • Unité de recherche en santé des populations
  • United Nurses of Alberta
  • United Steelworkers
  • YWCA Canada
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