圖、文／無國界醫生
隨著美國和11個環太平洋國家的代表於今日齊集紐西蘭簽署《跨太平洋夥伴協定》（TPP），保障人們能夠獲得藥物的抗爭正在TPP簽署國的國家層面加劇，因各國將啟動立法程序，以決定該協定能否最終生效和落實。國際醫療人道救援組織無國界醫生（Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières，簡稱MSF）呼籲，TPP簽署國上的超過8億人民，除非協定裡鎖定高藥價的條款被移除，否則應促請政府拒絕這項協定。
無國界醫生在美國的「病者有其藥」項目經理及法律政策顧問聖胡安（Judit Rius Sanjuan）說：「這場阻止落實不負責任貿易協定的抗爭還沒結束。今天簽署的TPP協定，是對藥物可及性而言歷來最差的貿易協定，將令最需要救命治療的人難以負擔這些治療。因此，人們要求他們的政府堅持保障公共健康、反對TPP容許的不公正獲利，是非常重要的。」
目前的TPP簽署國包括美國、澳洲、汶萊、加拿大、智利、日本、馬來西亞、墨西哥、紐西蘭、秘魯、新加坡和越南，但可以有更多國家加入簽署，而這項協定亦將會成為未來更多貿易協定的藍圖。因此，無國界醫生將發信予所有東協國家和印度政府，促請它們不要加入TPP。
TPP協定是在經過超過5年的閉門秘密協商後，於10月達成協議的，其間公眾沒有機會復查。協定現在已經公開，受TPP影響的人終於可以發聲，告訴他們的立法者和政府，不要批准這項協定，除非那些令人們難以獲得藥物的有害條款被移除。
一旦落實，TPP將擴大製藥公司的襲斷，透過阻止或拖慢低價學名藥的出現，讓人們難以獲得救命的藥物。此外，TPP更將解除保障公眾健康的措施，迫使發展中國家改變法例，為藥廠納入濫用的知識產權保護條款，讓人們以及像無國界醫生等服務他們的組織，更難購買他們所需的可負擔藥物。
藥物的昂貴價格是全球問題，影響各個收入水平的國家，但無國界醫生設有項目的發展中國家則特別受高藥價衝擊，因為大部分人都要自費繳付藥物。高昂價格和嚴厲的知識產權規則，將無助解決全球生物醫學創新的危機，包括缺乏新藥物以應對抗生素抗藥性。昂貴藥價亦只會令政府要動用更多資源買藥、成為跨國藥廠的利潤，從而少了資源可用於進行配合需要的研發。
無國界醫生「病者有其藥」項目南亞主管孟甘妮（Leena Menghaney）說：「TPP的設計不止包括目前12個國家，對印度和整個東協地區的病人都會帶來負面影響。因此我們會向印度政府和東協成員國發信，呼籲它們拒絕TPP。」她續說：「今天簽署的TPP只是過程中的一步，但阻止TPP令人們難以獲得可負擔藥物的工作還未結束。」
PRESS RELEASE: 4th, Feb. 2016
There’s still time to stop the TPP from cutting off the critical lifeline of affordable generic medicines
As representatives from the United States and 11 other Pacific-Rim countries gather in New Zealand today (4 February 2016) to sign the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement, the fight to protect access to medicines in TPP countries is intensifying at the national level, with legislative processes starting that will determine if the deal is finally ratified and implemented. The international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is calling on the more than 800 million people living in TPP countries to urge their governments to reject the deal unless harmful provisions that lock in high drug prices are removed.
“The fight to stop this irresponsible trade deal from going into effect is far from over,” said Judit Rius Sanjuan, MSF’s US Access Campaign manager and legal policy advisor. “The TPP deal being signed today is the worst trade deal ever for access to medicines and will make life-saving treatments unaffordable for those who need them most. That’s why it’s critical that people demand their governments uphold their obligations to protect public health and fight back against unjust profiteering that would be enabled by the TPP.”
The current TPP countries are United States, Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam, but more countries could sign on, and the agreement is being billed as a blueprint for future trade deals. This is why MSF is going to send an open letter to all the ASEAN countries and the Indian government urging them not to join the TPP.
The TPP deal was agreed in October after more than five years of negotiations that were conducted in secret, without the opportunity for public review. The agreement is now public and people affected by the TPP can finally have their say and tell their legislators and governments not to ratify the deal unless damaging provisions that will harm access to medicines are removed.
If implemented, the TPP will extend pharmaceutical company monopolies and prevent people from accessing life-saving medicines by blocking or delaying the availability of price-lowering generic drugs. Additionally, the TPP would dismantle public health safeguards and force developing countries to change their laws to incorporate abusive intellectual property protections for pharmaceutical companies, making it harder for people – and organizations like MSF that serve them – to buy the affordable medicines they need.
The high price of medicines is a global problem affecting countries at every income level, but people in developing countries where MSF has operations are particularly hard hit by high prices, as most people pay for medicines out of pocket. High prices and strict intellectual property rules will also do nothing to solve the global crisis of biomedical innovation, including a lack of new medicines to address antibiotic resistance. High drug prices divert government resources away from financing needs-driven research and development in favor of padding the bottom line and the pockets of multinational drug companies.
“The TPP is designed to extend beyond the current 12 countries and to negatively impact patients in Indian and the whole ASEAN region. That is why we are releasing letters asking the government of India and the ASEAN Member States to reject the TPP.” said Leena Menghaney, Head of South Asia, MSF Access Campaign. “The TPP signing today is one step in the process, but efforts to stop the TPP from blocking people’s access to affordable medicines are far from over.”
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