PHA-Exch> UN RIGHTS EXPERT UNVEILS DRAFT GUIDELINES FOR DRUG COMPANIES ON VITAL MEDICINES

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: Vern Weitzel <vern at coombs.anu.edu.au>
crossposted from "[health-vn discussion group]" health-vn at cairo.anu.edu.au

UN RIGHTS EXPERT UNVEILS DRAFT GUIDELINES FOR DRUG COMPANIES ON VITAL
MEDICINES
New York, Oct 25 2007  7:00PM
Noting that nearly two billion people worldwide lack access to essential
medicines, a United Nations independent expert on health today introduced
into
the General Assembly draft human rights guidelines for pharmaceutical
companies
to expand that reach.

Paul Hunt, the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment
of
the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health,
<"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/gashc3894.doc.htm">told the
Assembly's
third committee that the guidelines are designed to help both the companies
and
those monitoring their activities.

Using non-binding language, the 48 guidelines – which are being circulated
for
comment until the end of the year – deal with specific issues regarding
access
to medicines, such as pricing, ethical marketing, clinical trials,
corruption,
and research and development for neglected diseases.

Professor Hunt said he expected to finalize the guidelines for release next
year.

"I have tried to be practical and constructive," he said, stressing that the
draft does not suggest that pharmaceutical companies are legally bound by
international human rights law.

An estimated two billion people worldwide, but overwhelmingly in developing
countries, do not have access to essential medicines, Professor Hunt said in
a
press statement that was also released today.

"Improving access to existing medicines could save 10 million lives each
year.
Access to medicines is characterized by profound global inequality: 15 per
cent
of the world's population consumes over 90 per cent of the world's
pharmaceuticals."

Although individual States have the main responsibility for expanding access
to
medicines, he said that pharmaceutical companies also have a profound
impact,
good and bad, on this process.

"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?"

In his statement to the Assembly committee, Professor Hunt also detailed a
new
international initiative to try to reduce maternal mortality. Every year
more
than 500,000 women die in childbirth or from complications resulting from a
pregnancy, and most of these deaths are preventable through simple and
inexpensive interventions.

The Special Rapporteur said the initiative, which was formally launched last
week, aims to use human rights to strengthen existing efforts to reduce
maternal
mortality and to improve the performance of health-care systems in poor
countries. It is also designed to encourage maternal health workers to use
human
rights analysis, advocacy and networks to further their goals.

Professor Hunt proposed that the Human Rights Council convene a special
session
focused on maternal mortality, inviting key UN agencies and Member States to
share their insights and expertise.

"This would be a unique opportunity for the Council to tell the world that
preventable maternal mortality is a human rights issue of enormous gravity."

He added that the Indian Government has asked him to undertake a formal
visit
next month to look at the issue.
2007-10-25 00:00:00.000
___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
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