[e-med] MSF recrute pour sa campagne d'accès aux médicaments en Chine

["Mai Do" <mai.do@paris.msf.org>]

JOB POSTING/MSF
 Campaigner, Access to Essential Medicines

Closing date for applications: Monday, 4 September 2006. Please send a cover 
letter (including available starting date) and CV in English by email to Ms. 
Mai Do at mai.do@paris.msf.org.

Introduction:
Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is an international 
medical humanitarian organisation founded in 1971. MSF responds to 
nutritional crises, medical acute emergencies (e.g. SARS), helping victims 
of war, fighting infectious diseases (e.g. HIV/AIDS, TB), and responding to 
natural disasters.  MSF was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999.  MSF 
started working in China in 1988, initially focusing on emergency relief 
after natural disasters, but gradually shifting to longer-term projects, 
such as taking care of orphans and street children in Shaanxi Province, and 
comprehensive treatment and care for HIV/AIDS patients.  Since 1999, MSF has 
also campaigned internationally to improve access to essential medicines for 
disadvantaged populations (more information about the campaign is available 
at www.accessmed-msf.org).  MSF is currently recruiting for the following 
position:

Title :                                       Campaigner, Access to 
Essential Medicines - China
Base:                                       Beijing, People's Republic of 
China
Contract duration:                     One year, renewable
Report to:                                  Director, Policy and Advocacy, 
MSF International Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines
Collaborate closely with:            Access Campaign legal team, pharmacists 
and communication officers, and others where appropriate.
MSF projects in China, pharmacist MSF China, MSF-Hong Kong office

1. Background:
China is a complex and potentially strategic global player on the issue of 
access to medicines.  As a lower-middle income country experiencing rapid 
economic growth, China's 11.7 USD billion domestic drug market is attractive 
for major multinational pharmaceutical companies; at the same time, hundreds 
of millions of Chinese continue to live in poverty and have extremely 
limited access to both medicines and healthcare.  China is also the world's 
largest producer of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) for a range of 
medicines, and produces API and finished products both for its domestic 
market as well as for export.  Depending on strategic decisions it is going 
to make, Chinese firms and government may have an important impact on prices 
& availability of drugs and API.

Currently MSF runs two HIV/AIDS projects in Hubei province (central China) 
and Guangxi province (southern China).  MSF has been involved in 
contributing to the development of national AIDS treatment protocols, 
promoting fixed-dose combinations, and advocating for wider access to 
essential ARVs.  However, intellectual property (IP) barriers limit access 
to many key drugs such as second-line ARVs.  A strong advocacy campaign on 
how and why China should overcome these IP barriers could make a difference 
to increase access to new drugs.

2. Main objectives
a)      Continue to raise awareness about IP barriers to access to drugs and 
how to overcome these in China
b)      Increase access to affordable versions of patented drugs in MSF 
projects
c)      Support potential local generic production of essential drugs (e.g. 
ARVs) in close link with the pharmacist

3. Activities per theme
a) Continue to raise awareness about IP barriers to access to drugs and how 
to overcome these in China
-          Present MSF perspective in national and regional meetings on 
access to medicines
-          Strengthen contacts and share MSF expertise with relevant 
partners
-          Elaborate needed advocacy documents
-          Identify communication needs and develop network of journalists
-          Establish contacts with local NGOs and build networks
-          Follow developments in China's changing IP system as it relates 
to access to medicines.

b) Increase access to affordable versions of patented drugs in MSF projects
-          Follow-up ongoing efforts to obtain affordable versions of drugs 
needed in MSF projects.
-          Continue efforts to encourage more widespread use of ARV 
fixed-dose combinations
-          Conduct necessary patent searches and analyses in collaboration 
with local lawyer and Campaign lawyers
-          Identify various IP and regulatory barriers for each drug and 
find measures to address them, in collaboration with Campaign lawyers
-          Support advocacy activities of MSF operations, as requested

c) Support potential local generic production of essential drugs (e.g. ARVs)
-          In conjunction with the pharmacist, research and develop ties 
with local generic industry
-          Contribute to Access Campaign's work on active pharmaceutical 
ingredients
-          Contribute to better understanding IP barriers in relation to 
generic drugs and API, vaccines and diagnostics
-          Liaise with international partners on local production 
possibilities within China

4. Profile
Background:
-        University background in related field: legal, political science, 
public administration, medical.
-        Flexible, self-starter, motivated
-        Able to work independently, but also collaborates well in a 
multicultural team

Experience:
-          Proven ability to lobby at high political level
-          In-depth knowledge of access to medicines issues
-          Genuine interest in medical/humanitarian matters linked to 
globalisation
-          Experience with campaigning on access to essential medicines
-          Knowledge/experience of working in the Chinese context is a 
strong plus

Language:
-          Good command of English (spoken, written): mandatory.
-          Chinese Mandarin (spoken): a strong plus


Mai DO
Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines
Médecins Sans Frontières
Tel: 33 1 4021 2825
Fax: 33 1 4021 2960
E-mail: mai.do@paris.msf.org