Dear colleagues,
I think this is a great summary on the MPP process, and I would like to thank
the MPP team for providing this insight into the process. And congratulations
to those innovators supporting this facility; hopefully others shall join in,
as they see that there are growing safeguards in these arrangements that
support their commercial interests.
As indicated in their submission, there remains responsibility on governments
to consider and apply other options that remain open to governments, to provide
for assured access to essential medicines, on the basis that the MPP initiative
is not the be all, end all. For some governments, this will mean considering how
best to use their procurement regulations and procurement strategies (as often
covered in these laws) to facilitate access to essential medicines. It also
means making use of and investing in other arrangements such as the TRIPS flexibilities
(an area that too often only receives academic interest in many developing countries).
Increasing access to essential medicines is the objective. In that respect, using
a combination of all these tools, facilities and strategies, whilst preserving,
and promoting research in medicines discovery and innovation,etc, is the
reality for public health at present.
