Six international non-government organisations have urged US President Barack Obama to extend the pharmaceutical transition period for the least developed countries.
Oxfam America, Health Gap, Knowledge Ecology International, Public Citizen, Union for Affordable Cancer Treatment and Young Professionals Chronic Disease Network have sent a letter to Obama this week to consider the issue for the LDCs.
“We strongly urge the US to take immediate steps to express its full and unconditional support for the LDC Group’s request for a pharmaceutical transition period for as long as they remain LDCs,” the letter said.
The NGOs said in the letter that they believed the LDCs’ request for a pharmaceutical transition period for as long as they remain as LDCs will receive unconditional support from WTO members.
The European Union has publicly supported the LDCs’ request and the UN and international agencies including WHO, UNITAID, UNAIDS and UNDP, suppliers of generic medicines to LDCs, and civil society organisations from across the world have unequivocally supported the LDCs’ request, it said.
“We fail to understand why the US alone continues to oppose LDCs’ demand – a legally sound and justified request for a pharmaceutical transition period for as long as they remain LDCs,” the letter said.
LDCs are the most vulnerable and poorest segment of the international community.
According to the United Nations, more than 70% of the LDC population lives on less than $2 per day and an estimated 252 million people live in hunger.
World Bank data from 2014 reports that only 36% of the least developed countries have access to improved sanitation facilities while 68% have access to improved drinking water source.
As of 2012, two thirds of people in LDCs lacked access to electricity.
In 2014, Gross National Income per capita for LDCs was $915 compared to $55,200 for the United States.
In 2001, the Doha Declaration on The Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) and Public health which exempted LDCs from pharmaceutical product patenting until January 1, 2016, had a hugely positive impact in improving access to affordable treatment.
It enabled LDC governments, donors and the international community to treat more HIV/AIDs patients. However the treatment gap continues to be massive, as 63% of the 10.7 million people living with HIV in LDCs do not have access to antiretroviral (ARV).
Non-communicable disease is another growing challenge for LDCs as its prevalence increases and treatments are simply unaffordable, especially as most of the medical expenses in LDCs are borne “out-of-pocket.”
