Life-Saving Medicine: Why is Canada Blocking Access?

Developing Countries Need of Canadian-Manufactured Generic Drugs – Don’t Block Them!

November 17, 2010

OTTAWA – Six years ago Parliament passed Canada’s Access to Medicine Regime (CAMR). CAMR was supposed to allow lower-cost generic drugs to be shipped to developing countries to help prevent people from dying from treatable diseases like AIDS and tuberculosis. However, CAMR is so complex and expensive that it has only been used once.

New Democrat MP Judy Wasylycia-Leis introduced Bill C-393 to streamline CAMR to make it useable and allow life-saving generic drugs to be shipped to developing countries.

This bill was gutted by Liberal MP Marc Garneau whose amendments essentially made the bill useless. When the bill returns to Parliament in December, the New Democrats will be seeking to restore the bill to its original version, which will ensure generic drugs can be sent to developing countries and save lives.

This bill is supported by over 80 per cent of Canadians and returns to the House of Commons for debate on December 16. Olivia Chow and the New Democrats are calling on the Conservatives and Liberals to prove their commitment to the health of those in developing countries by taking action to support this bill.

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