President Jacques Chirac, in the presence of the Honorable Thomas Boni Yayi, President of Benin, and the Honorable Blaise Compaoré, President of Burkina Faso, and several other heads of state and directors of international organizations, called political leaders to fight against the traffic of falsified medicines.

Goals of the International Mobilization Campaign

This campaign seeks to redress three of the most significant obstacles in fighting the traffic of falsified medicines.

1.  Raising awareness and informing populations of the traffic’s impact
-    The purchasing behaviors at every link of the supply chain must change.  To reinforce access to quality medical care for entire populations, even the world’s poorest, it is essential to broaden access and inform consumers about quality generic medicines at 1/10 of the price of non-generics, available in private and public pharmacies.
-    Pharmacists should systematically inform customers about the presence and real dangers associated with the use of falsified medicines.

2. Training staff and equipping labs with the tools needed to assure quality medicine
-    It is of the utmost importance to train local pharmacists and laboratory technicians and empower them with the necessary resources to promote the laboratories’ continued operation.

-    To this end, a team, or teams, of qualified technicians should be formed to inspect and improve laboratories and train their staffs.

3. Creating a legal framework to better prosecute traffickers, guarantee the pharmaceutical supply chain and bolster the right of all to safe, quality medicines
-    There is not longer any doubt that the traffic of falsified medicines poses a serious threat to public health.  It is therefore incumbent on decision makers to establish an internationally recognized law to end this blight.  The WHO and France both have legislation that could serve as the model for broader legislation.

-    This new legal framework should federate the different actors of the health industry (pharmacists, their associations, laboratories) as well as law enforcement and customs officials to better secure the pharmaceutical distribution chain.  It is also necessary to investigate the traffic of falsified medicines, so that authorities are better suited to stop it.

Honor Committee members

Honor Committee, made up of heads of state and directors of international organizations, is dedicated to providing access to high quality medication in accordance with the Cotonou Declaration.

• Jacques Chirac / Former President of the French Republic, President of the Fondation Chirac

• Joaquim Chissano / Former President of Mozambique

• Blaise Compaoré / President of Burkina Faso

• Dr Ponmek Dalaloy / Minister of Health, Laos PDR

• Faure Gnassingbé / President of Togolese Republic

• Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf / President of Liberia

• Jakaya Kikwete / President of United Republic of Tanzania

• John Kufuor / Former President Republic of Ghana

• Louis Michel / Member of European Parliament, co-president of the EU/ACP parliamentary assembly

• Jean Ping / President of the African Union Commission

• Amadou Toumani Touré / President of Republic of du Mali

• Mohamed Vall / Former head of State of the Mauritian Islands

• Thomas Boni Yayi / President of Republic of Benin

Patronage Committee members

Patronage Committee unites heads of foundations, agencies, and partner public institutions.

• Gérard Askinazi / CEO of Euro RSCG Worldwide Events

• Farid Baba Moussa / Director of the Cotonou National Drug Quality Control Laboratory

• Michèle Barzach / Former Minister of Heath and Family of French Republic, President of Friends of the Global Fund Europe

• Amara Benyounes / Former Health Minister of People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria

• Fondation Pierre Fabre

• Fondation Mérieux

• Jacques Godfrain / former Minister of Cooperation of French Republic, President of the French Association of Volunteers of Progress (AFVP)

• Hans Hogerzeil / Director of essential medicines and pharmaceutical policies at the World Health Organization (WHO)

• Philippe Kourilsky / former Director of the Pasteur Institute, member of the Académie des Sciences

• Mohamed Benslimane Mansouri / Director the National Drug Quality Control Laboratory (Algeria)

• Armand J.J. Nanga / Vice President for West and Central Africa of the World Customs Organization

• Youssou N’Dour / Autor, songwriter and singer

• Aline Plançon / INTERPOL-IMPACT Project Manager

• Robert Sebbag / Vice-President of Sanofi-Aventis’ Access to Medicines

• Valérie Terranova / Founding member and General Secretary of the Fondation Chirac

• Amor Toumi / Advisor of the World Health Organization

• Pierre-André Wiltzer / Former Minister of Cooperation and Francophonie of French Republic, President of the French Development Agency’s Board of Trustees

• Elias Zerhouni / Former Director of National Institutes of Health (USA)

Partners

Fondation Pierre Fabre

Agence Française de Développement

Sanofi-aventis

Euro RSCG Worldwide Events

CFAO

Eurapharma

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