CAMR Legislation Must Pass in Canada's Senate Chamber
CTAC Congratulates Members of the House of Commons for passing Bill C-393
March 14, 2011, TORONTO - Members of Parliament did the right thing last week by passing Bill C-393, creating hope that Canada's Access to Medicines Regime (CAMR) will work as it was meant to - by cutting the red tape and making it easier for companies to provide low cost quality treatments for people with HIV/AIDS in countries with limited resources.
CTAC has worked in countries including Rwanda and has seen the positive impacts of providing affordable medication where none was available until just a few years ago.
"The Senate must not delay in passing the new CAMR legislation", said Ron Rosenes, Vice Chair of CTAC. "We know the biggest obstacle to improving health and reducing rates of transmission lies in the cost of putting more people on treatment. The Canadians we represent and others to whom we speak want regulatory barriers to be removed so Canada can be a greater part of the solution".
"As access to treatment activists, we fight for the rights of women and men to gain access to life saving medications, care and support. This means the companies that make these generic drugs will need to be competitive with other international suppliers", said Louise Binder, Chair. "This legislation will be an incentive for Canadian generic manufacturers to step up to the plate".
Fear mongering from the manufacturers of patented medicines must not dissuade parliamentarians from passing this important legislation. Their job is to respect the will of the people they serve, not the companies who fear a dent in their profit margins.
The work to get the CAMR legislation to this point must not be in vain. We urge all Senators to heed the message, and pass Bill C-393 without further delay.
We fully support our colleagues at the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network in the amazing work they have done to build awareness and support among Canadians for the need to fix CAMR once and for all.
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Media Enquiries
Louise Binder 416-457-3179
Béatrice Cardin 647-330-0114
Ron Rosenes 416-7265147 (currently in Russia with 8hrs time difference)
The Canadian Treatment Action Council (CTAC) is a national
non-governmental organization run by and for people living with HIV/AIDS, including those who are co-infected. CTAC
promotes informed public policy and builds awareness on issues that impede access to treatment and health care
for people living with HIV/AIDS. Treatment is a broad concept, which includes western, traditional,
complementary and alternative medicine.
"Reproduced with permission - CTAC Canadian Treatment Action Council /Conseil canadien de surveillance
et d'accès aux traitement"
CTAC
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