Topic: Insuring Access to Affordable Pharmaceuticals
Country: Nigeria
Delegate Name: Delaney Danca
School: Mattawan High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Nigeria position papers GLIMUN 2012 committees
The cost of pharmaceuticals can be the difference between treatment of disease and death of the subject. In many countries there is a percentage of the population that lives in poverty and because of this, medicine is not always easily purchased. In this instance, diseases such as Tuberculosis can be transferred throughout a community, making the containment of illnesses nearly impossible.
In Nigeria, disease is a major concern of the government and the people. Though Nigeria has a growing economy and country, there are still many that must live on less than two US dollars a day. 90% of this population cannot afford pharmaceuticals or healthcare. Also, Nigeria is tenth in the top twenty two countries for Tuberculosis prevalence, and seasonal flooding makes the danger of Malaria a large risk to residents and visitors. These are but a few of the numerous diseases that plague Nigeria. Because of these diseases, the importance of affordable medicine is substantial; however, Nigeria has a lacking system of medicine production and distribution. There are very few companies that produce valid medicines because of the requirements of international regulatory groups, such as WHO. This creates a dependence on foreign medicine and increases the prices of pharmaceuticals, making it harder for low income citizens to find treatment. The prices of the drugs also makes counterfeits more prevalent in the country, and many that are sold to citizens are not the correct drugs and are either ineffective or harmful.
Possible resolutions for the issue of affordable pharmaceuticals could include accessibility and ease with meeting the necessary qualifications of producing medicine. By making the requirements easier to achieve, yet still protecting the rights and health of citizens, the cost of medicine would decrease as Nigeria's reliance on imported pharmaceuticals decreases. Creating processes and goals of self-reliance for pharmaceuticals decreases dependence and increases availability and affordability of treatments. Also, as the affordability of legal drugs increases, the need of cheaper counterfeit drugs would decrease.
