People in poor countries are the last to benefit from modern drug therapies. MSF volunteers report that women, children and men around the world are dying of HIV, TB, malaria, sleeping sickness, and other diseases for which effective drug treatments exist. In response, MSF plans to collaborate with local partners in the 84 countries where it operates to encourage activities that heighten the general public's and policymakers' awareness on this issue. The result is that people in the developing world who cannot afford treatments, die from curable diseases. MSF believes that essential medicines must be seen as an exception in global trade and is committed to encouraging public involvement to re-shape policymakers' thinking on trade policy.
Price is one barrier to essential drug access.
Another is unavailability. Some life-saving treatments are not obtainable because manufacturers abandoned production in order to make more profitable drugs for customers in wealthy countries. MSF plans to conduct a global price analysis of selected essential drugs that are too expensive and use pricing information to negotiate better prices. Among other strategies, MSF also plans to work with the World Health Organization and the pharmaceutical industry to begin the manufacture of abandoned drugs such as dfmo for sleeping sickness. The pharmaceutical industry focuses investments to meet the needs of people living in wealthy countries.