Essential Medicines

Got back this week from a conference on finding new ways to ensure the third world gets the drugs it needs at a price it can afford. Essentially, the plan is to encourage universities to negotiate into their licensing agreements on new drug compounds a clause that allows for generics to be made in poor countries. I find this to be an interesting idea and certainly valid for plenty of diseases that are rampant in third world countries but limited in the United States. However, it does seem disturbing to me that someone with HIV in Africa potentially has access to cheap anti-retroviral drugs and someone in the US does not. How do we decide who deserves our efforts the most? The cynical part of me wonders if the allure of working for drugs in the third world overshadows some of the mundane real-life dilemmas of poor people without access to healthcare in our own country. Who do we have a duty to? Who do we ultimately value the most? Even though we are taught to regard each person's life with the utmost respect and to protect all human life, realistically it isn't always possible to do so. What happens when we have to choose where to place our time, energy, and resources?

Regardless of the ethical implications, the background on this movement is fascinating. It has really picked up steam in the last year or so with mentions in prominent journals and papers, the signing of an important mission statement by notable public health superstars, and increasing progress being made at individual universities.

Check it out:
www.essentialmedicine.org

Excellent Boston Globe article from Oct. 3