Sponsored session - Increasing access to quality assured and affordable essential medicines for cancer care in low- and middle-income countries - How can we make this happen?

Session organised by Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) (Switzerland)

Chaired by:

Yehoda Martei, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania (United States)

Presentations: 1. Improving access to innovative treatments in Kenya Mary Nyangasi, RTI International (United States)

2. Improving access to cancer medicines through regional pooled procurements – the PAHO strategic fund experience Christopher Lim, WHO/Pan-American Health Organization 3. Improving global cancer medicine access and diagnostics Pat Garcia-Gonzalez, The Max Foundation (United States)

4. Expanding access to cancer medicines: Roadmap and guiding principles from the role of MPP in ART and Hepatitis C medicines access Esteban Burrone, Medicines Patent pool (MPP) (Switzerland)

Description:

One of the targets of the World Cancer Declaration (Target #07) is to improve access to accurate cancer diagnostics and multimodal treatment, including affordable essential medicines for cancer care. However, access to these medicines remains a complex global issue, with a disproportionate burden on low- and middle- income countries. Several initiatives have been launched to improve access to medicines for cancer treatment. These initiatives include but are not limited to; advocacy to promote Universal Health Coverage for essential cancer medicines through national Ministries of Health (MoH), improving access to medicines through innovative approaches to voluntary licencing and patent pooling, medicines access programs with pharmaceutical partnerships. The aim of this session is to highlight the landscape of access initiatives globally and provide lessons for scaling up cancer medicines access.