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XALIMANEWS: Senegalese President Macky Sall on Tuesday called for a lifting of the "abusive protection" of patents above the standards accepted by the World Trade Organization (WTO).
This overprotection is leading to an "increase in the price of generic drugs," President Sall explained by opening the first Galenadio Forum organized in Africa at the Diamniadio International Conference Center.
"This excessive protection continues to create a near-monopoly situation that increases the prices of drugs and hinders the manufacture of safe generic products at more affordable costs for the greatest number. It will be necessary to lift this protection somewhere and to make generics a reality, "he said.
"It is clear that despite the tremendous progress of science, medical and pharmaceutical, thousands of people continue to suffer, die of preventable diseases, curable and controllable for lack of access to drugs and care," lamented Macky Sall.
This 'paradox of modern times', he said in his plea '' explains all the ethical debate related to the patent abuse protection beyond the standards accepted by the World Trade Organization ''.
'' This excessive protection continues to create a quasi-monopoly situation that increases the prices of medicines and hinders the manufacture of safe generic products at more affordable costs for the greatest number '', he insisted before a partner of scientists , researchers and students come to take part in the Galen forum, first in Africa.
He also denounced "the scourge of counterfeiting" that "only effective international cooperation can help (to deal with) the many ramifications of this criminal traffic".
Returning to the theme of the "Ethics and Innovation" forum, Macky Sall emphasized that "innovation is important in the knowledge society, knowledge and applications are constantly exposed to the risk of obsolescence" .
'' That keeps pushing to invent, reinvent, create, perfect and adapt. In this innovation is inseparable from the progress of science and technology but it can not escape the norms of ethics, "said the head of state.
According to Sall, '' 'ethics constantly questions the consciousness and the very purpose of research and innovation. It is about life and human dignity.
'' If, he continued, science must remain at the service of humanity, especially in the medical field, it is useful to recall that the secrecy of laboratories, pharmacies, ethics constantly question knowledge on the purpose of research ''.
For the President of the Republic, "the event is major and historic because the Galen Prize and its forum form a world reference in pharmacy and biotechnology."
Since 1970, the Galien International Prize, like the Nobel Prize, has been awarded annually to researchers whose achievements contribute to advancing the human condition through the development of innovative treatments.
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