World AIDS Day Talk with Obama, Bush, Clinton

Check it out Here! Hosted by One Campaign, a talk by our nations former and present leaders about the Global AIDS Crisis and Possible solutions.

Jeffrey Sachs Comments on World AIDS Day and Global Fund Failures

Today is World AIDS Day, a day for us to remember the success' of our combat with AIDS as a pandemic. Jeffrey Sachs of the Earth Institute at Columbia has written that this is not the case today. Today, it is important to know that the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB, and malaria is getting suspended for the 11th round, denying much needed funding to nearly 3.3 million people who receive AIDS treatment from it, 3.3 million people are given death because of the lack of funding from governments like the United States. He points out that the money the US would have to pledge amounts to only 16 hours of the annual spending by the pentagon, $4.20 per American, and a tiny fraction of military spending. This article bring everything back to perspective, noting that we aren't making progress right now, that the world is far from meeting its own goals on eliminating AIDS. Check out the article Here: The Independent

Kenya Launches first NTD Strategic plan in Africa!

"The Kenyan government launched a five-year national master-plan on Thursday to address neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) that have become a public health challenge in remote parts of the country," making Kenya "the first country in Africa to launch a broad-based strategic plan on combating neglected tropical ailments that include bilharzia, trachoma, kalaazar, intestinal worms, elephantiasis and Hydatid disease," Africa Science News reports. "Minister for Public Health and Sanitation Beth Mugo said this strategic plan dovetails with her ministry's 'vision of transforming Kenya into a nation free from preventable diseases and ill health,'" the news service writes (Mwaura, 11/11). "Eliminating NTDs in Kenya is also in line with Millennium Development Goal 6, along with achieving Vision 2030, which aims to turn Kenya into a middle-income nation by 2030," according to the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases's "End the Neglect" blog, which notes, "In Kenya alone, one in two people suffer from NTDs" (Diep, 11/10). Original Article Here

Open Eboard Meeting Tonight

Hello All, we are hosting an open board meeting tonight at 8pm in Thorpe conference room! Be sure to be there to take part in conversations about the spring global health conference!

Hello All! Our UAEM Chapter just finished three successful presentations at Central Michigan University's 11th Annual Issue Day. Through increasing awareness towards health disparities, we gained student support for our petition for the implementation of Global Access Licensing and Global Health Curriculum at Central Michigan University. However, we still need more signatures and encourage you to spread the word, advocate for this cause, and attend our general member meeting on Tuesday, November 7th at 8pm in Anspach 157 to sign the petition. Continue the fight! -Rebeccah

Anti-malarial compound from UC Berkeley

UC Berkeley originally licensed the anti-malarial compound artemisinin to Amyris and the Intitute for One World Health (iOWH), with global access provisions in 2004, after receiving a grant from the Gates foundation. Now, they are planning on producing the drug for combination therapy with the help of sanofi in 2012. This semisynthetic compound should lower the price significantly and stabilize the availability of the drug which is originally derived from a plant grown in China and Vietnam. Original Source here For more info: iOWH press release: Here Artemisinin Case Study (Berkeley TTO): Here A great example of the importance of global access licensing!

Issue Day this Weekend

Come learn about social issues that people on CMU's campus are passionate about! This event is free for students, faculty, and staff, and at low cost to those outside the campus! Cmich UAEM is presenting at three sessions throughout the day, and featuring an extremely important petition for the student body! Register on orgsync at https://orgsync.com/26702/events/271378/show!!!!

Words of Wisdom

‎"Keep on fighting the good fight. Don’t get depressed or discouraged, ever. You keep on fighting, and one day the pendulum swings. You grit your teeth. You’re tenacious.. You decide that one of the great things about being alive is to usher in a more humane, more decent, more civilized international society. And global health is intrinsic to that goal."
           ~Stephen Lewis 2011 Universities Allied for Essential Medicines Annual Conference

Very inspirational words from quite an accomplished individual.  It was a pleasure to hear Stephen as a keynote and hopefully one day everyone will live their lives with these words very close to their heart.
            ~Priscilla Vargas

  
                         To check out how you can help: http://essentialmedicine.org/

Deadly Monopolies

Watch this video interview with medical ethicist Harriet Washington on the ethical dilemma of medical monopolies from patents. She says that the medical-complex has come to own too much of human life, and she's right. In the past 30 years, over 40,000 patents have been issued on genes alone. For more information, check out the original article here.

National Conference

We have just ended the 2011 UAEM National Conference! Our chapter learned new tactics for approaching
policy changes at our university, and we are enthusiastic about the changes ahead. United with universities around the world, we are proud to be part of this movement for essential
social change. As a public educational institution, we have both a moral obligation and academic responsibility to utilize our knowledge for the betterment of humankind. Equal access to medicines is equal access to life.

They go to die

Check out they go to die, a movie about the worlds biggest TB outbreak in South African gold mines. Check it out at http://theygotodie-movie.com and be sure to donate so that this important story can be heard by everyone!!!

UAEM 2011 Conference Updates

Hello All! This is Rebeccah reporting from the 2011 UAEM National Conference. Universities around the world are represented at this conference, including ones from Brazil, Germany, United Kingdom, and many more, and we are all united under one common mission: equal access to medicines. We have just completed our first set of sessions, which have been extremely informative. This morning, the group was broken into two different tracks- introductory and advanced. The introductory track focused on the history of UAEM including mission, values, and reasons to become actively involved in the fight for equal access to medicines. The advanced track presented ways to actively pursue advocacy and policy changes on individual campuses. Our chapter at Central Michigan University has already learned a lot from these first sessions, such as how and who to approach within the administration to further our goal of adopting global access licensing agreements. We have also gained more support and logic for adopting these agreements- Harvard has global access licensing in 75% of agreements, and have seen a subsequent increase in revenue! We learn a lot from the efforts and successes of other universities. Collaboration is key. We are excited for the remainder of the conference, including Stephen Lewis, co-founder of AIDS Free World, as the keynote speaker. We will keep you updated regarding what we learn from this great conference. -Rebeccah

National Conference Twitter Updates

Check our Twitter @cmich_uaem for updates on UAEM national conference. We will be updated periodically today, for all those not joining us in Baltimore!

CMU to host international conference on human rights

Central Michigan University will host an international conference on Human Rights, Literature, the Arts and Social Sciences Nov. 11-12. This conference will focus on how writers, artists, musicians, theorists and scholars discuss, represent, and promote human rights. Presenters include Winona LaDuke, Dr. Robert Lemelson, conductor Murry Sidlin, and Justice Murray Sinclair. Conference admission is free to CMU faculty, staff and students, but registration is required. Lunch fees are $10 per lunch per person. To view a complete conference schedule, visit this website. This conference is going to be awesome!

Drug Shortages in America

Although we normally focus our attention on access issues abroad, it is important to see that access issues sometimes hit home too. One such issue is with drug shortages in American hospitals. Drug companies have been slowly leaving the market for essential medicines to help with cancer treatment,anesthetics, antibiotics, and nutrient solutions. Due to less companies producing the drugs, there is a gap in delivery of these medicines even inside America, as other companies cannot keep up with the demand. Click here to read the original article and find out more.

Say Yes to Drugs!

Join in and sign the petition to say yes to drugs! Which is in support of getting Merck into the Medicine Patent Pool. To find out more, go to ! Also: check out their video and sign the petition! It doesn't make sense for other pharmaceuticals to submit to the patent pool but for Merck to hold out, their products can save lives! Improve access to AIDS drugs worldwide!

Sign the petition for ARVs and HIV treatment in Nepal

Please sign on in solidarity with Nepalese activists who are facing shortages of ARVs. Some people currently being treated for HIV may be cut off from their medicines if action is not taken. Because the Nepali government offices will be on closed for a week to celebrate a national holiday, Ethan and I have been constantly in touch with Nepali activists for the past two days to get this done as soon quickly as possible. PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION ASAP. To sign on please go here: http://www.PetitionOnline.com/np2011/petition.html

Vaccines for children to reach 37 more countries!

Vaccines for rotavirus and pneumococcal disease announced today to be provided in more countries in Africa! This as a part of a movement done by GAVI Alliance, whose CEO stated: “Thanks to our donors and partners, the GAVI Alliance is now delivering on its promise to protect more children across the developing world against rotavirus, pneumococcal disease and other life-threatening yet preventable diseases,” said GAVI CEO Seth Berkley M.D. This is exciting news in the world of Global Access! Way to Go GAVI Alliance for your success in implementing these vaccines. This is following success in distribution of these vaccines in Sudan. By 2015, GAVI is planning on distributing to more than 40 countries, and providing vaccine for more than 50 million children. What a great success! For more: check out this article: Click Me! -Justin

UAEM having another meeting

Tomorrow, Tuesday September 27, UAEM at CMU is having another general meeting. They are charging $15 for yearly dues to anyone interested in going to the national UAEM conference featuring Dr. Stephen Lewis on October 28-30 at Baltimore, MD. This is a tremendous time to learn about the access to medicines issue and to support and get involved directly. Also, there are executive board positions up for grabs tomorrow, these being the International UAEM liaison, and the Public relations chairperson. These positions need to be filled for this year, and are a great opportunity for people to get involved with the fight as well. Hope to see people there. -Justin

Interested in Global Health, why not read an amazing book?

There are many awesome topics out there to read books about, ranging from sparkling vampires and wizards to military novels and even autobiographies of greats like Albert Einstein. Amidst all the options for a great book to read, there are a selection of books made for people like us, who are interested in global health and issues like access to medicines and medical technologies, today, I've decided to start a list of these books for anyone who is looking to read something of that nature. Here's what we have so far, thanks to one of our members. Please comment if you have any more suggestions to add to the list, as the more we can share, the more we can know and do. The list: Mountains beyond mountains- Tracy Kidder (about Dr. Paul Farmer) Better- Atul Gawande Complications- Atul Gawande End of Poverty- Jeffrey Sachs Race against Time- Stephen Lewis My Own Country- Abraham Verghese I plan on starting with Mountains Beyond Mountains personally... -Justin

PIH Web Symposium

Today at 3pm, join in on the PIH Web Symposium: the 18th Annual Thomas J. White Symposium: From Innovation to Transformation: Partnerships in Action. Join in online for free at: http://www.pih.org/symposium If your on campus, join us at Anspach 151 to watch it together!!! Update: Click the link above to watch the video still, it is on the site, hosted by PIH and Livestream! It was a very cool way to hear from people working in the field through Partners in Health, and to hear from Dr. Paul Farmer!

Pro Bono Bio, the Tom's Shoes of Pharmaceuticals

Today we are hearing about an exciting new pharmaceutical company called Pro Bono Bio. This is from they're website: www.probonobio.com: Pro Bono Bio is at the forefront of the "humanitarian" pharmaceutical industry. It is the first pharmaceutical company to have clear and specific humanitarian objectives from the start. Pro Bono Bio’s business model provides for the provision of drug donations to Africa based on the sales of its products in the pharmaceutical markets of Western Europe. So for every sale in Western Europe at normal prices, Pro Bono Bio will provide the same product, manufactured to the same international standards, to be distributed to Africa. Pro Bono Bio’s shareholders are fully supportive of this unique business model which will apply to all of the company’s products. The area of Africa that Pro Bono Bio will initially supply is the East African Community (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, and Rwanda), which has a population of 130 million. As a self proclaimed humanitarian pharmaceutical industry, this company is making waves, and really producing a great new model for access! Hopefully the wave is contagious in the future, but for now this awesome group is bringing in an enlightened era of pharmaceuticals. More available at the Burrill Report This info forwarded on from the UAEM-CC Thanks guys! -Justin

CMU UAEM General Meeting

A Message from CMU UAEM:

Hello Everyone! Universities Allied for Essential Medicines at CMU is having its first full general meeting for 2011-2012! In Anspach 151 on Tuesday, August 13 (this Tuesday) at 8pm!!!! This is the first of many general meetings to be held every other Tuesday at 8pm this semester. We will be talking about the National Conference, dues, and our new status system. Dues this year are $15 for the entire year. Come to the meeting, and bring a friend! We'll see you there! UAEM-CMU Team cmich.uaem@gmail.com Justin Mendoza President, UAEM-CMU mendo1jd@cmich.edu

‎"Everyone knows the more prescription drugs cost, the better they work!" Not so fast! When it comes to generic medicine it's cheaper and just as efficient as the prescription drug....so that means likelier access for many more people!

~Priscilla

Novartis Hits the Heart of the Access Problem

As one wonderful example of the problem of equal access, and how exactly patents play a role, this article could not play a better role. Novartis, the company which holds the patent on the Leukemia drug Glivec, is currently in a Supreme Court battle over renewing a patent on Glivec in India after making a slight change to the drug. Indian patent law states that no patent held before 1995 (when India was forced into recognizing patents) are considered valid. Glivec was originally patented in 1993, which left Indian generic companies to provide the drug for $174 a month. The "brand name" price is over ten times that amount! Renewing the patent would put a halt on the generic production on Glivec in India. Luckily, the renewal of a patent in India is only acceptable if there has been a hugely significant therapeutic change in the newest patented version of the drug, so its not like they could just walk in and open a new patent. All we can do is hope that their case does not go through, or else access to this much needed product will be restricted in mass proportions. Take a look at this article for more information: Click Here

Hopefully the patients' rights groups in India will make a strong enough case to keep Glivec in the hands of the people who need it, not just those who can afford it.

-Justin

UAEM at CMU has set their dates for Meetings.

Meetings will be taking place every other Tuesday at 8pm in location TBD. The next meeting will be September 13th. As always, people from every major are encouraged to come and check out the group. There is a place for everyone in the fight 4 equal access, and UAEM reflects that.

The equal access battle

The right to live is an inalienable human right. Along with this right comes the ability to live. The ability to live is dictated by the healthcare we can receive. Therefore, good healthcare is an inalienable right. A person who lives in a developing nation does not deserve to die from a curable disease because they cannot afford the drugs for it, or because medications for their disease doesn't have a big enough  buyers market. The trouble is, once a drug is patented to a big name pharmaceutical company, there is nothing to be done about lowering the price set by the company. That's where institutions can make the change. Global Access Policies like the ones in place at universities like University of British Columbia and Yale. Universities are places for the betterment of the world, and global access policy makes the world better. Why should a man in Haiti die from AIDs in his late twenties when a man in America can live his whole life with the disease.

-Justin