A public lecture by Catherine Tomlinson, Senior Researcher for the Treatment Action Campaign and Mara Kardas-Nelson, Access and Innovation Officer for Médecins Sans Frontières

 

When: 14 June 2012, 18:00 for 18:30       

Where: Barnard Fuller, Conference Room 4, University of Cape Town

On Thursday, 14 June 2012 the Peoples Health Movement, the Treatment Action Campaign and Médecins Sans Frontières will host a public lecture  at the University of Cape Town. The lecture will look at intellectual property protection in South Africa and how it impacts on health, as well as, government’s moves to amend the law and the opportunities to influence this process.

Currently, South Africa provides protection on intellectual property beyond what is required internationally. Because of this, medicines off patent in other parts of the world often remain on patent and extremely expensive in South Africa.

The high cost of medicines under patent can block access to medicine for patients in urgent need. Because of their high price, patented medicines are often not provided through the public sector or fully covered in the private sector.

Importantly, South Africa is currently undergoing a process of reviewing its intellectual property laws and a policy is under development by the Department of Trade and Industry. The policy, which is expected to be released for public comment in the upcoming months, will set out amendments to be made to the law.

Now is a crucial time for the public and civil society to be aware of how our intellectual property laws impact on health and, to push back against pressure from industry to ramp up intellectual property protection in South Africa at the expense of our lives.

This lecture is open to the public.