The Medicines Transparency Alliance: Improving access to essential drugs
15 May 2008
 Image courtesy of Crispin Hughes/Panos Pictures
A powerful new health alliance could save the lives of
more than 10 million poor
people every year by 2015. The Medicines Transparency Alliance (MeTA), launched
today by Secretary of State for International Development Douglas Alexander,
will help increase access to essential drugs in developing countries.
MeTA represents the coming together of international institutions including the World
Health Organization and the World Bank with governments, civil society and business to
improve the health of some of the world's most disadvantaged people.
Tackling corruption, high prices and waste
At the launch, Douglas Alexander said:
"Too many people die needlessly because they can’t get the medicines they need.
There are currently 2 billion people around the world who do not have access to
affordable medical services. A lot of medicines are not affordable, they are of
poor quality, or they are simply not available.
"The problems of price, quality and availability can be tackled by improving
transparency and access to information. MeTA will provide citizens, health care
workers and others with information to challenge corruption, excessive pricing
and waste. We now have a common approach and, by working together, millions of
lives could be saved."
 Back
to top
How MeTA will make a difference
MeTA commissioned four independent journalists in the alliance's pilot
countries to look at some of the issues that it will tackle. Here are their stories:
Back
to top
Links
Back to top
|
Directgov |
