Job Vacancy: MSF Campaigner, Access to Essential Medicines

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Job Vacency: MSF Campaigner, Access to Essential Medicines

Job title: Campaigner, Access to Essential Medicines

Job location: New Delhi, India

Place within the organization: Reporting to MSF Holland India Head of

Mission, functionally accountable to Access Campaign Coordinator, Amsterdam

start date August 2005 or later, Period 6 months extendable

Submission Date for application: July 15, 2005

Mission Operations:

MSF/H opened a small office in New Delhi in June 1999, following a first field

visit in April. In October 1999, permission was obtained from the Reserve Bank

of India for MSF/H to start project activities.

MSF/H in India focuses primarily on offering support to the populations that

suffer from India’s hidden conflicts, with an emphasis on the North Eastern

States and Kashmir.

MSF/H started a mental health program in Srinagar and in 2004 opened a second

operational site in Kupwara, close to the Line of Control with Pakistan. In

Kashmir the main activity is providing counseling to the community, however

there is also a Watsan and medical element to the program in Kupwara.

In the Northeast of India, particularly in Assam, malaria has been

identified as one of the problems. In order to have a rational malaria program

that can provide accurate diagnosis and treatment, MSF began by implementing

malaria drug sensitivity trials in collaboration with the regional Malaria

Research Center and medical colleges. In the last 12 months MSF has moved on

from the Malaria study to operating 4 BHC/ANC clinics in two districts of Assam,

with plans to extend to mobile clinics and Malaria Field site activities.

Watsan activities in the various IDP camps are also a priority for the Assam

project.

In the autumn of 2004, MSF started a project in the protected state of Manipur.

Originally aimed at malaria and possibly MDR TB this programme is now a BHC/ANC

project with possibilities of moving into STIs and eventually HIV by the end of

2005.

Following the Tsunami of 2004, MSFH opened a 6-month project in the

Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu, offering counseling to the affected

villages. It is expected that this project will close at the end of July 2005.

Other MSF sections in India

In addition to the activities of MSF/H, MSF Belgium has been active in Mumbai

with a TB intervention. Currently the TB program is handed over to the local

authorities. Together with a local partner however MSF Belgium will be starting

an HIV-AIDS project in Mumbai.

Following the Tsunami MSF-Belgium started a project in Tamil Nadu where

currently a mental health program and a basic health care program are being

implemented in Nagapattinam, one of the most heavily affected areas.

MSF Spain is the third section present in India and is currently involved in

exploring the possibilities of starting a Leishmanias project in the state of

Bihar.

The three sections meet with regular intervals and are cooperating in the areas

of emergency preparedness and the Access Campaign.

Access Campaign in India

In the midst of civil society protests and international media attention, the

Indian Parliament approved and passed the new Patents Act on March 23rd 2005.

The Indian Patents Act of 1970 was thus amended to allow for the granting of

pharmaceutical product patents –something the country has not done since 1970.

The previous Indian Patents Act did not allow patents on pharmaceutical products

and thus enabled Indian companies to make their own generic versions of

medicines. Generic production has been crucial for the supply of affordable

medicines in the developing world, especially for newer drugs such as

antiretrovirals (ARVs) for the treatment of HIV. Due to the lack of product

patents on each separate drug, Indian generic manufacturers have been able to

combine three different AIDS medicines in one single pill.

Médecins Sans Frontières provides ARV treatment to nearly 30,000 people living

with HIV/AIDS around the world. MSF shares concerns expressed by Indian civil

society, patients’ groups and other international treatment advocates about the

consequences of the new Patents Act for the global availability of affordable

drugs.

MSF will continue analyzing the impact of India’s Patent Act on prices of

medicines, and will work with others to ensure that the mechanisms and

provisions allowed for in the law are fully implemented to ensure the widest

possible access to affordable life-saving medicines in developing countries.

MSF’s Liaison Office in India is therefore looking for;

Campaigner Access to Essential Medicines

The Access to Medicines Campaigner is responsible for following campaign issues

in India and advocating for access to medicines.

This includes providing direct support to the field teams in assuring access to

medicines from Indian producers for MSF projects as well as advocacy work on to

ensure continued access to Indian exports. The Campaigner will work in close

collaboration with the Head of Mission of MSF Holland and the Access to

Medicines Campaign as well as other MSF missions active in India in particular

MSF Belgium and MSF Spain.

Objectives of the position

Advocate for policies in India to stimulate access to affordable medicines in

India and in other developing regions. This will be mainly done through the

following strategies:

a.. Contribute to assuring access to medicines needed MSF projects

b.. Work on specific drugs that are needed by MSF but also could set

precedents regarding use of new Indian patent rules

c.. Actions to influence policies in India that may be detrimental for access to

medicines

d.. Follow developments regarding the Indian Patents Act and the

implementation of its recent amendments including (but not limited to) patent

ability criteria, automatic licensing and mailbox applications.

e.. Contribute to advocacy work in India for access to medicines through

collaboration with Indian NGOs, lawyers collective and (emerging) treatment

activist groups

Specific tasks:

a.. Propose and implement - in collaboration with the Campaign - actions and

strategies to influence policies in India that may be detrimental for access to

medicines in line with MSF’s current operational strategies

b.. Support MSF/campaign pharmacists to secure access to needed drugs

(first and second-line drugs on existing protocols) from generic drug

companies

c.. Build and maintain a network of like minded groups

d.. Follow developments in the Indian government with regard to access to

medicines and specifically with regard to the implementation of the new patents

act

e.. Work with the Campaign and the lawyers collective on pre grant

opposition to selected patent applications presently in the maibox

f.. In collaboration with the Campaign follow the deliberation of the

‘Mashelkar Commission’ on patentability criteria in India.

g.. Collaborate with MSF B in Mumbai and with MSF E in Bihar on joint

activities

h.. Represent MSF at relevant meetings

Requirements

· Understanding of and a strong affiliation with MSF campaigning

issues (medical, legal and advocacy)

· Strong organizational, networking and managements skills

· Familiarity with the Access Campaign for Essential Medicines and

PR management

· Ability to lobby with the local government and international

agencies present in India

· Experience in developing communication strategies

· Patience and diplomacy

· Able to adapt and respond to rapidly changing situation

· Excellent written and spoken English

______________________

Regards,

Leena Menghaney

Lawyers Collective HIV/AIDS Unit

63/2, 1st Floor, Masjid Road

Jangpura

New Delhi 110 014

Phone - 2432 1101, 2432 1102, 2432 2237

Fax - 2432 2236

e-mail - aidslaw1@...