Despite advances in science, safe and affordable medicines remain inaccessible in many developing countries. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 30 percent of the world’s population—1.3 to 2.1 billion people—lack access to essential medicines.

The OSI Public Health Program has a broad, ongoing interest in ensuring access to medicines, including opioids for pain relief and drug addiction treatment, and medicines for HIV and TB prevention and treatment. In 2007, the Public Health Program launched its Access to Essential Medicines Initiative to support efforts to increase access to drugs for neglected diseases in developing countries and among marginalized populations.

The initiative focuses on three areas:

• monitoring and ensuring transparency of the pharmaceutical industry;
• fostering models of drug innovation that protect public health;
• supporting fair and efficient mechanisms to ensure availability of medicines.

The project promotes civil society engagement with these issues and actively supports a civil society platform around the WHO Working Group on innovation for neglected diseases.

The Access to Essential Medicines Initiative, in partnership with the OSI Information Program, has provided core institutional support to four nongovernmental organizations: Health Action International Africa, Center for Trade and Development, Third World Network, and the Kenya Hospice & Palliative Care Association. The grant program includes technical assistance in such areas as organizational development and media skills.