SA’s National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (NEHAWU) has reiterated its position, that the adoption of the National Policy on Intellectual Property is critical in reducing the price of medicines and in improving medication access for the vulnerable in the country’s society. According to a [s]The Pharma Letter[/s] report, NEHAWU said that the latest New Age report that shows that India sells medication at the sixth of a price in SA, ‘attests to our assertion that pharmaceutical companies in the country are involved in price gouging. ‘The envisioned state pharmaceutical entity will become the largest supplier of drugs in the country, and will also ensure that quality-assured medicines that are safe and effective are made affordable. We need to break the stranglehold of the multinational corporations on the drug trade and make sure they compete with each other and with generic drug producers so that citizens can access drugs at a much cheaper rate,’ the union said.
[link url=http://www.thepharmaletter.com/article/call-for-south-african-govt-to-ensure-affordable-medicines-for-all]Full The Pharma Letter report [/link]
SA health union supports adoption of Intellectual Property Bill
