Draft *Human Rights Guidelines for Pharmaceutical Companies in relation to Access to Medicines

[Guest guest]

*UN INDEPENDENT EXPERT LAUNCHES DRAFT HUMAN RIGHTS GUIDELINES FOR

PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES*

19 September 2007

The UN Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the

highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, Hunt, today

launched for public consultation a draft *Human Rights Guidelines for

Pharmaceutical Companies in relation to Access to Medicines.*

" Almost 2 billion people lack access to essential medicines, " the Special

Rapporteur said. " Improving access to existing medicines could save 10 million

lives each year. Access to medicines is characterised by profound global

inequity as 15% of the world's population consumes over 90% of the world's

pharmaceuticals " , the Special Rapporteur explained.

Access to medicines is a central feature of the right to the highest

attainable standard of health. States have primary responsibility for

enhancing access to medicines, as set out in the expert's report to the UN

General Assembly last year (13 September 2006, A/61/338). The Special Rapporteur

routinely questions Governments about their national medicines policies and

implementation plans.

" Pharmaceutical companies have a profound impact - both positive and

negative - on Governments' ability to realise the right to the highest

attainable standard of health. 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? " he added.

Consisting of some 50 provisions, the draft Guidelines were launched today at

the University of Toronto, Canada. They are available for comment until 31

December 2007.

" The draft Guidelines are designed to help pharmaceutical companies, as well as

those monitoring their activities. I look forward to finalising the Guidelines

in 2008 " , Professor Hunt concluded.

The Special Rapporteur is an independent expert appointed by the then United

Nations Commission on Human Rights to help States, and others, promote and

protect the right to the highest attainable standard of health.

The draft Guidelines, and other initiatives of the Special Rapporteur, can be

found at www2.essex.ac.uk/human_rights_centre/rth/

For further information on the mandate of the Special Rapporteur and copies of

his reports, please go to

http://www.ohchr.org/english/issues/health/right/index.htm

____________________

" Manohar Elavarthi " <manoharban@...>