Côte d'Ivoire: Medical students demand access to medicines

Medical Students Worldwide in Support of Access to Medicines and Healthcare for the People of Côte d'Ivoire

Date of release: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact person: Dr Chijioke Kaduru, IFMSA President, and Mr Joško Miše, IFMSA Director of the Standing Committee on Reproductive Health and AIDS

Contact e-mails: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (Dr Kaduru); This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (Mr Miše)

Contact telephone number: +233 265187737 (Dr Kaduru); +385 998608027 (Mr Miše)

Highlights: Medical students from 96 countries speak out against embargo on Côte d'Ivoire; Embargo on Côte d'Ivoire likely to deny millions the right to access essential medicines

Main text:

The International Federation of Medical Students' Associations (IFMSA), representing over 1.3 million medical students worldwide, expresses its solidarity with the students of health sciences in Côte d'Ivoire in opposing the months-long embargo of medications imposed on the West African nation. Concerns have been raised by the IFMSA regarding this restriction of access to essential medicines, while reminding the international community of their responsibility to uphold health as a human right.

Côte d'Ivoire, a developing country1 with a population of about 20 million inhabitants has been a site of internal political turmoil, severe outbreaks of violence and general unrest in the most recent months. The country's political crisis stems from the presidential elections held in 2010, which resulted in increasingly intense armed confrontations over recent weeks, together with political gridlock that has had serious consequences on the country's population2. Outbreaks of fighting, street blockades and major population movements are continuously escalating. Cases of extrajudicial killings and disappearances have been reported. Reports from Reuter describe widespread civil unrest that resulted in numerous deaths and injuries3. Violence is additionally fuelled by ethnic and political loyalties1.

On January 15, 2011 the EU adopted a Council Regulation (No 25/2011) which took immediate effect in EU Member States4. The newly sanctioned parties consist of 87 individuals and 11 entities3 said to be associated with the government of President Gbagbo5,6. This embargo is part of a series of economic, diplomatic and health-related sanctions. The EU hopes to obtain the departure of President Laurent Gbagbo from presidency.. The commercial and financial sanctions have been widespread – ultimately affecting the supply of medicines.

Médecins Sans Frontières states that the commercial and financial sanctions imposed by the international community against Ivory Coast, coupled with transportation problems, have led to shortages in medicines and medical supplies7. Health facilities in many regions of the country lack basic medicines and treatment supplies for chronic and acute illnesses, particularly kidney dialysis2.

As of December 2010, MSF has increased its presence in Côte d'Ivoire by providing primary health care and medicine in abandoned facilities. This week MSF reported that only one hospital continues to function normally in Abidjan's Abobo district, home to approximately two million residents. The western part of the country, as described by MSF, is on a par with the capital region, where fighting has forced most health care workers to abandon health facilities - now running low on medicines - and forced many people in the area to seek refuge in neighboring Liberia. The instability is causing difficulty in accessing populations, particularly in areas close to the front lines8.

In February 2011 UNICEF reported that the state pharmacies in northern and western regions, which supply hospitals and clinics, are beginning to run out of essential medicines. The same UN agency also confirmed their intervention through the supply of anti-retroviral drugs, including the support of the Global Fund for the insecticide-treated nets9. The WHO and UNAIDS staff members whom we have consulted reported stock-out problems, explaining that they vary by region and type of drug, but openly expressed concerns on the long term effects of this embargo.

On February 24th, students from SYNESS (National Union of Students in Health Sciences of Côte d'Ivoire) held a demonstration10 in white coats and a sit-in in front of the headquarters of the World Health Organization's Country Office in Abidjan, rising up against this "arbitrary" measure that prevents patients from access to medication7. The students protested with placards stating "Free our drugs", "SYNESS says no to the embargo on drugs" or "Providing care is what only we can do best". They intend to keep protesting in front of the office of all of the international organizations that are represented in Cote d'Ivoire, until the embargo is lifted. Nando Serge, the National Secretary of SYNESS stated that the consequences of this embargo could be catastrophic for the population.

Although SYNESS is not a member organization of IFMSA, the actions and messages launched by our colleagues, medical students in Côte d'Ivoire, resonated strongly within our constituency. Our mission is to offer future physicians a comprehensive introduction to global health issues as well as to improve the education of tomorrow's doctors. Through our Standing Committee on Human Rights and Peace, we have dedicated our work extensively, on local and international levels, to raise awareness about conflicts and health. Health is a vital and indispensable component of any community and nation, essential for the overall well-being of every man, woman and child.

Through our policy statement on access to essential medicines, adopted at the IFMSA 59th General Assembly, we reaffirm our belief that equal access to essential medicines is a fundamental right and an integral part of the attainment of health care for all - regardless of age, gender, resources, religion, political opinions, race or country of origin.

We strongly advocate and support efforts that aim to ensure proper access to healthcare and medication, as well as to stress the importance of humanitarian actions in the state of emergency and ongoing conflict. We strongly value peace and universal access, and thus we would like to support openly our colleagues in Côte d'Ivoire. Our hopes are that peace will be bestowed on Côte d'Ivoire and that the healthcare professionals and facilities will be treated in accordance to international laws – allowing people access to health care and medication.

We hope that the international community, governments and institutions, will acknowledge their obligations to recognize health as a fundamental human right and to take all necessary steps to ensure its fulfilment – addressing the problem of this particular embargo on access to healthcare and medication for the people of Côte d'Ivoire at this time of clear humanitarian crisis.

The International Federation of Medical Students' Associations (IFMSA) is an independent, non-governmental and non-political federation of medical students from 103 National Member Organizations on six continents. The IFMSA was founded in 1951 and is run for and by medical students on a non-profit basis. It is officially recognized as a Non Governmental Organization within the United Nations system, and is recognized by the World Health Organization as the International Forum for medical students. It exists to serve medical students all over the world. IFMSA is built around six standing Committees: Human Rights and Peace, Reproductive Health including AIDS, Public Health, Professional Exchange, Research Exchange and Medical Education.

References:

(1) U.S. Department of State, 2005. 2004 County Reports on Human Rights Practices – Cote D'Ivoire [online] Available at http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2004/41599.htm [Accessed 21 March 2011]

(2) Medecins sans frontieres, 2011. Ivory Coast population trapped in conflict [online] Available at http://www.msf.org/msf/articles/2011/03/ivory-coast-population-trapped-in-conflict.cfm [Accessed 21 March 2011]

(3) Reuters, 2011. EU imposes sanctions against Ivory Coast [online] Available at http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/01/15/ivorycoast-sanctions-eu-idUSLDE70E04A20110115?pageNumber=1 [Accessed 22 March 2011]

(4) Council Regulation (EU) No 25/2011 of 14 January 2011 amending Regulation (EC) No 560/2005 imposing certain specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities in view of the situation in Cote D'Ivoire

(5) UK P&I Club, 2011. EU Sanction Regulation in respect of Ivory Coast [online] Available at http://www.ukpandi.com/knowledge-developments/article/eu-sanction-regulation-in-respect-of-ivory-coast-2380/ [Accessed 22 March 2011]

(6) INCE & Co International Law Firm, 2011. New EU Ivory Coast Sanctions [online] Available at http://www.incelaw.com/documents/pdf/Strands/International-Trade/new-eu-ic-sanctions [Accessed 22 March 2011]

(7) World AIDS Campaign, 2011. Côte d'Ivoire / Shortage of Medicines: MSF accused the "international community" [online] Available at http://www.worldaidscampaign.org/en/Cote-d-Ivoire-Shortage-of-Medicines-MSF-accused-the-international-community [Accessed 21 March 2011]

(8) Medecins sans frontieres, 2011. MSF responding to latest violence in Abidjan, Ivory Coast [online] Available at http://www.msf.org/msf/articles/2011/03/msf-responding-to-latest-violence-in-abidjan-ivory-coast.cfm [Accessed 21 March 2011]

(9) UNICEF, 2011. Warnings on shortage of essential drugs amidst crisis in Côte d'Ivoire [online] Available at http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/cotedivoire_57599.html [Accessed 21 March 2011]

(10) DirectScoop.net, 2011. Côte d'Ivoire / Shortage of Medicines: MSF accused the "international community" [online] Available at http://directscoop-en.net/2011/03/16/cote-divoire-shortage-of-medicines-msf-accused-the-international-community/ [Accessed 20 March 2011]