Unique challenges faced by advocates, policymakers and industry in struggle to address lack of access to medicines 

January 18, 2012 - With more than 10 million people dying each year because they lack access to medicines, the global struggle to achieve universal access to treatments is complex and involves many players from both public and private sectors.

The McMaster University community and the public at large are invited to engage in a discussion with a panel of experts about innovative solutions to address the global challenges associated with access to medicines, on Friday, January 27.

Organized by the Student Subcommittee of the McMaster Health Forum, the expert panel discussion entitled Access to Medicines: Innovation, Industry and Advocacy will take place from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in room 3020 for the Michael DeGroote Centre for Learning. The audience will be able to gain insightful perspectives on the unique challenges that humanitarian advocates, policymakers and industry leaders face in working towards universal access to medicines.

The panel members are:

  • Aidan Hollis, professor in economics at the University of Calgary, and vice-president of Incentives for Global Health, a U.S.-based NGO focused on the development of the Health Impact Fund proposal;
  • Richard Elliott, executive director of the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, and founding member of the Global Treatment Access Group, an affiliation of Canadian civil society organizations advocating for access to medicines and other aspects of the human right to health in developing countries; and
  • Philip Blake, president & CEO, Bayer Inc., head of Bayer HealthCare in Canada, and chairman of the board of Rx&D, the association of leading research-based pharmaceutical companies dedicated to improving the health of Canadians through the discovery and development of new medicines and vaccines.

They will be sharing first-hand experiences on their respective roles in striving to achieve universal access to medicines.

One example of international action to address this issue is the development of a Consultative Expert Working Group on Research and Development: Financing and Coordination (CEWG), fostered by the World Health Organization. The CEWG was created in response to a concern that insufficient resources were being devoted globally to research and development of treatments for diseases that principally affect developing countries. Innovative funding and incentive programs comprise the next step in addressing access to medicines, but they must be deemed valuable from an industry perspective to be effective.

The panel discussion is open to all, but seating is limited. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with “Access to Medicines” in the subject, and indicating your name and affiliation (program, faculty, organization), by Thursday, January 26.

The Forum’s Student Subcommittee has organized the event with the support of the Bachelor of Health Sciences program and the Bachelor of Health Sciences Society.