Fix Patent Laws Second Advocacy Workshop

The SA NCD Alliance attended at the second Fix the Patent Laws training and advocacy workshop host by MSF South Africa in Johannesburg.

The meeting aimed to further the advocacy into South African patent la reforms taking partners from all areas of civil society and related fields. Over the two days advocacy work was further trained and plans put in place to lobby the South African government to reform patent laws. The lines of Nelson Mandela were ushered as a focal point, that everyone has the right to affordable medical treatment.

The South African system of patent granting is in dire need of reform, as cheaper generic medications are not making it into the market in part due to the antiquated and out of touch patent laws of ever-greening drugs.

The workshop was not all serious and a light hearted yet important lesson given to the participants. On how to protest and toy-toy in a truly South African way. Which resulted in banners and placards made and a march to hand over a memorandum to the UN High-Level Panel on access to medicines Ruth Dreifuss in Johannesburg despite a rainy and cold day.

View the memorandum here