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The Head of State chaired, yesterday, the opening of the Forum and the Prix Galien International. According to Macky Sall, while public health issues still remain acute in African countries, it must be remembered at the same time that Africa is neither a medical desert nor a scientific no man's land. He regretted the fact that despite the tremendous progress in medical and pharmaceutical science, millions of people continue to suffer and die from preventable, curable or controllable diseases because of lack of access to medicines and medical care.
Established since 1970, the Prix Galien International, like the Nobel Prize, is awarded annually to researchers whose achievements contribute to improving the human condition through the development of innovative treatments. This year, our country is hosting it for the first time in Africa, after its launch in 2009 in New York. The opening ceremony was chaired by the Head of State, Macky Sall who believes that the Galen forum offers a platform for high-level scientific exchange on issues of common interest related to health. "Through the ages, health has always been a permanent concern for human societies. This concern is even more evident in these times when, by the considerable increase in the volume and speed of trade, diseases are transported and transmitted from one point to another in the world in only a few hours. Any local threat is potentially global and therefore calls for collaboration across borders, "said the Head of State.
According to Macky Sall, acceptance is in keeping with the spirit of excellence attached to the Prix and the Galen Forum which contributes to widening the virtuous circle of knowledge in Africa. "From time immemorial, it is knowledge that determines the progress of science, which distinguishes the advancing nations from those that stagnate. And it is knowledge that values human capital, "he says. And to increase: "We want to train quality human resources, fight against social and territorial inequalities, and offer our populations better access to care. The strengthening of scientific fields in our educational system, the promotion of apprenticeship to trades through technical and vocational training, Family Safety Scholarships and Universal Health Coverage programs are part of this dynamic ".
The Head of State is of the opinion that while public health issues still remain acute in African countries, it is necessary at the same time to recall that Africa is neither a medical desert nor a no man's land scientist. "Here in Senegal, the tradition of university teaching and research in modern medicine goes back to the colonial era, with the creation, in 1896 in Saint-Louis, of a microbiology research laboratory on malaria and sleeping sickness. This laboratory will then be transferred to Dakar in 1913, to become the Institut Pasteur in Dakar, an institution that meets the best standards in terms of analysis, training, research, but also vaccine production and distribution. And in 1915 was created the African School of Medicine and Pharmacy of Dakar, became in 1959 the University of Dakar, now University Cheikh Anta Diop ", he wishes to recall. On this list, he added the inauguration in July 2017, in Diamniadio, of the Institute for Health Research, Epidemiological Surveillance and Training, created by Professor Souleymane Mboup, whose expertise in teaching and research is authoritative with the discovery of HIV2.
"In addition, I have initiated an expanded program of construction and equipment of one hundred laboratories and set up shared platforms of equipment in electron microscopy, biotechnology, molecular genetics, scientific computing and modeling. Some of this infrastructure is being built right here in the Knowledge City of the new city of Diamniadio. And my ambition is to do much more to stimulate the progress of science and technology in Senegal, "he says.
"Access to medicines and care remains a challenge"
However, Macky Sall notes that despite the tremendous advances in medical and pharmaceutical science, millions of people continue to suffer and die from preventable, curable, or controllable diseases for lack of access to medicine and care. "This paradox of modern times explains all the ethical debate related to the patent abuse protection, beyond the international standards accepted by the World Trade Organization. We know that this excessive protection continues to create a quasi-monopoly situation that increases the price of medicines and slows the production of safe generic products, at more affordable costs for the greatest number, "he regrets. For this scourge, he adds counterfeiting and the illegal sale of medicines. "In Africa, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 100,000 deaths a year are linked to the trade in counterfeit medicines.
Only effective international cooperation can help to cope with the many ramifications of this criminal traffic. Thus, in collaboration with 18 African countries, the World Customs Organization intercepted nearly 260 million drugs unfit for consumption in June 2017, "informs the Head of State.
Ngoya Ndiaye
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