[e-drug] Human Rights Guidelines for Drug Companies and access to medicines

["E-Drug" <e-drug@healthnet.org>]

E-DRUG: Human Rights Guidelines for Drug Companies and access to medicines
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[A very interesting set of human rights guidelines has been developed by the UN Special Rapporteur for Pharmaceutical Companies in relation to Access to Medicines. 
After a 3-year consultation behind closed doors, the draft
guidelines have now been made public, and can be commented upon by anyone.
See http://www2.essex.ac.uk/human_rights_centre/rth/ to download a copy of
the draft guidelines. Comments can be sent by 31 December 2007 to
rkhosl@essex.ac.uk
Below the press release which calls for the comments. WB]

UN INDEPENDENT EXPERT LAUNCHES DRAFT HUMAN RIGHTS GUIDELINES FOR
PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES

19 September 2007

The UN Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the
highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, Paul Hunt, today
launched for public consultation a draft Human Rights Guidelines for
Pharmaceutical Companies in relation to Access to Medicines.

"Almost 2 billion people lack access to essential medicines," the Special
Rapporteur said. "Improving access to existing medicines could save 10
million lives each year. Access to medicines is characterised by profound
global inequity as 15% of the world's population consumes over 90% of the
world's pharmaceuticals", the Special Rapporteur explained.

Access to medicines is a central feature of the right to the highest
attainable standard of health. States have primary responsibility for
enhancing access to medicines, as set out in the expert's report to the UN
General Assembly last year (13 September 2006, A/61/338). The Special
Rapporteur routinely questions Governments about their national medicines
policies and implementation plans.

"Pharmaceutical companies have a profound impact - both positive and
negative - on Governments' ability to realise the right to the highest
attainable standard of health. It is time to identify what pharmaceutical
companies should do to help realize the human right to medicine. How can we
expect pharmaceutical companies to respect human rights if we fail to
explain what they are expected to do?" he added.

Consisting of some 50 provisions, the draft Guidelines were launched today
at the University of Toronto, Canada. They are available for comment until
31 December 2007.

"The draft Guidelines are designed to help pharmaceutical companies, as well
as those monitoring their activities. I look forward to finalising the
Guidelines in 2008", Professor Hunt concluded.

The Special Rapporteur is an independent expert appointed by the then United
Nations Commission on Human Rights to help States, and others, promote and
protect the right to the highest attainable standard of health.

The draft Guidelines, and other initiatives of the Special Rapporteur, can
be found at www2.essex.ac.uk/human_rights_centre/rth/

For further information on the mandate of the Special Rapporteur and copies
of his reports, please go to
http://www.ohchr.org/english/issues/health/right/index.htm

Comments by 31 December 2007 to rkhosl@essex.ac.uk