The ‘1st World Conference on Access to Medical Products and International Laws for Trade and Health in the Context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’ was inaugurated in Delhi on 21 November 2017.
It was inaugurated by Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare J P Nadda. The Conference was being organized by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare with the support of WHO Country Office for India and in partnership with Indian Society of International Law.
The main aim of the conference was to exchange knowledge and expand understanding on contemporary issues in international trade laws and research and innovation for access to medical products to achieve SDG 2030 agenda.
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister stated “India is deeply committed nationally and globally to achieving all public health goals and also focusing on developing India as a hub for affordable medical devices.”
The Minister further said that there is a need for promoting industry and academic collaboration for developing affordable medical products so that innovations and advances in medical sector reach a vast population.
Further, highlighting the importance of transparency between regulatory authorities and the pharma sector, Nadda stated that the coordination between the National Regulatory Authorities and pharmaceutical sector will enable launch and registration of new health technologies.
Nadda stated that the 2015 National Medical Device Policy will enable local manufacture in the multiproduct, multidisciplinary industry. “In India, nearly 150 thousand orthopaedic knee procedures are done every day. More investments and more players in the medical devices sector will lead to lowering down of prices and access to medical products as most of the governments are sensitive to access and pricing of medical products,” he added.
Other dignitaries while speaking on the occasion highlighted issues such as alternative models for affordable medicines, more investment in medical R&D and publicly funded R&D, innovative healthcare service delivery models and collaboration between the public and private sectors including academia to reduce cost of production and delivery.
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