Access to affordable medicines top priority: minister

Islamabad: Addressing the participants of Health and Population Think Tank meeting organized by Health Services Academy, Health Minister Dr Zafar Mirza stated Monday that access to medicines is top priority of the government and his Ministry is taking measures to ensure access to quality medicines at affordable prices.

He said that government's resolve to transform institutional outlook of the Drug Regulatory Authority is very strong and there will be visible change within two years. He said, “Transparency and merit based decisions are our top priority and there will be no compromise on it.”

Poor populations in developing countries are struggling to access medicines and impediments in their way have yet to be fully removed, he said.

The Health and Population Think Tank met with the theme Access to Medicines. Representatives of provincial governments, federal agencies and ministries, international organisations and donors, industry and civil society were in attendance. Experts and participants discussed different aspects of access to medicine strategies including pricing regulations, intellectual property and international trade and medicines procurement and supply chain issues.