On February 16th Bill C-398 was introduced in the House of Commons to streamline Canada’s Access to Medicines Regime (CAMR). As you know, to goal of CAMR is to help get lower-cost, generic medicines to developing countries dealing with HIV and other public health problems. It was created via legislation passed unanimously in Parliament in 2004. But eight years later, it has delivered little.
In the last Parliament, a bill to make key reforms to CAMR (Bill C-393) passed in the House of Commons with a large majority, including support from MPs belonging to all parties. However, it died on the order paper in the Senate when the federal election was called. Bill C-398, introduced this morning, puts those same reforms, already passed previously, back before the House. Parliament now has the opportunity to finish the job previously started and finally fix CAMR.
Please find below a statement issued today by dozens of organizations from across the country welcoming the introduction of Bill C-398 this morning. It calls on all Parliamentarians, from all parties, to join together in this effort and thereby finally deliver on Canada’s pledge to people in developing countries who urgently need life-saving medicines.
You can also view this statement (in PDF), and additional information on the call to fix CAMR, at http://www.medicinesforall.ca.