H E Commissioner Bience Gawanas (Commissioner: Social Affairs of the African Union)
Ibrahim Hassani Mayaki (Chief Executive Officer of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad))
Professor Carel IJsselmuiden, (Director of the Council on Health, Research and Development)
Researchers, meeting organisers, ladies and gentlemen
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you all to this African expert meeting on pharmaceutical innovation in Africa.
This meeting creates an important opportunity to bring together participants from almost all countries in Africa in the interest of research, development and innovation.
I'm delighted that organisers chose to hold this meeting here in Pretoria and I hope that all visiting dignitaries and delegates will enjoy not only this meeting but also the variety of attractions that South Africa has to offer.
To the distinguished participants representing government ministries, African institutions and researchers, science councils, the World Health Organisation and other international organisations, I express my gratitude for your contributions to making this meeting a reality. I hope that all participants will take this opportunity to network and to strengthen pharmaceutical innovation in Africa.
The development of a strong and vibrant worldwide pharmaceutical industry is of enormous importance to Africa.
For healthcare systems, the development and provision of high quality medicinal products has saved lives, improved life expectancy and enhanced the quality of life for so many people.
The debilitating effects of conditions such as asthma, diabetes, ulcers, cancer and mental illness have been alleviated by the tremendous advances that have been made in the area of medicines.
Despite this progress, many people in developing countries continue to lose their lives due to the lack of access to medicines. Though we acknowledge that there are many factors that contribute to inadequate access to health care in developing countries, the lack of access to medicines constitutes a serious barrier, which is worsening every day.
Our scientists take note of advances in science and technology that offer the opportunity for new innovative treatments to address unmet medical needs. I think particularly of gene therapy, cell therapies and tissue engineering.
Our scientists also take note of the work currently under way in areas such as genetic research that we hope will help in identifying treatments for conditions such as diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
Such work will only prove useful if we can develop strategic mechanisms aimed at turning fundamental research findings into innovative treatments that are not only available but also accessible to patients who need these medicines.
I'm hoping this meeting will enable us to reach a workable plan or strategy for pharmaceutical innovation in Africa that will assist us in addressing some of the challenges we face.
Indeed, all of us have a critical role to play in guaranteeing the leadership and cooperation required to ensure that advances in science and medicine will alleviate suffering and meets the critical medical needs of the millions of people on the continent.
Incidentally, this meeting takes place at a time when the South African Department of Science and Technology has just launched the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA). It replaces the Innovation Fund that has been in operation since 2001 and spent R1,2 billion on 270 projects. The bulk of that funding went into health projects.
All of us know how difficult it is to move from the original idea into manufacture. You have to move through the valley of shadow of death where there is no funding no investment bank will give you the time of day. So you look to "business angels" or government. And often you will be unable to find relief. There is no funding.
This agency is one of South Africa's responses to finding funding and to taking promising ideas to market.
The Department of Science and Technology here in South Africa is also developing what we call the 'Farmer to Pharma grand challenge'.
Over the next decade, South Africa has an ambitious plan to become a world leader in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, based on our indigenous resources and expanding knowledge base.
The South African government has committed itself to taking the necessary initiatives and building the necessary infrastructure to improve the drug-development value chain. This includes medicinal chemistry, high-throughput screening, preclinical testing facilities and capabilities and the manufacturing of active pharmaceutical ingredients.
These programmes are in line with the objective of this meeting of "strengthening pharmaceutical innovation in Africa".
In the past year, the South African Department of Science and Technology has also established a number of platforms and centres of competence aimed at stimulating and coordinating research activity particularly in the areas of HIV and AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis (TB).
These initiatives are still in their infancy. They use a virtual model of drug, vaccine and/or diagnostic development that is intended to minimise overhead costs and harness existing but fragmented capacity in South Africa.
Typically, these initiatives play a coordinating role in setting a disease-specific research and development (R&D) agenda, raising funds and managing R&D projects.
Importantly, they have the primary purpose of stimulating product oriented innovation. The objective is to minimise/eliminate the innovation gap and to create opportunities for the commercialisation of products and services that will reduce the burden of diseases affecting the majority of our people.
Plans are underway to establish more centres of competence and service and technology platforms in key areas that will assist in linking academic and research institutes and science councils with the private industry.
Building on existing networks and creating new synergies, South Africa also plans to extend our collaborations in this regard with partners in both developed and developing countries, including research institutions, governments, pharmaceutical and biotech companies, and international organisations.
We are hoping these initiatives will allow us to revitalise our pharmaceutical industry.
Not only is the pharmaceutical sector vital to the South African economy and science base, but it will continue to be a key component in the enormous health challenges that will dominate our research and development agenda for the foreseeable future.
Given the challenges of innovation, continued R&D progress requires robust support in the form of strong patent protection, incentives and cooperative efforts from our respective governments.
The relationship between intellectual property and the promotion of public health has been a major issue of debate in several international forums, particularly at the World Trade Organisation and the World Health Organisation.
To this end, South Africa takes note of and appreciates the work done recently by the World Health Organisation in developing a global strategy and plan of action for public health, innovation and intellectual property. We're delighted to have Ms Precious Matsoso in this meeting. She has been instrumental in driving the discussions and drafting the strategy and plan of action on public health, innovation and intellectual property rights.
We are confident that this strategy will go a long way towards providing mechanisms for encouraging incentives for research and development of medicines for diseases that disproportionately affect developing countries and allows access to existing medicines.
The Intellectual Property Rights from Publicly Financed Research and Development (IPR) Act of South Africa was recently passed. The Act provides for a completely revised enabling environment for intellectual property development and management and it is aimed at facilitating the creation of a new knowledge-base of intellectual property rights and a system for protecting our own interests.
South Africa has sought to address intellectual property issues in such a manner that will complement existing mechanisms without stifling innovation. We are also striving to create a positive environment that will encourage innovative companies to invest in South Africa for pioneering research and to go on to develop and manufacture their innovations in South Africa.
Ladies and gentlemen the discussions that will take place in this meeting during the next two days will make a significant contribution to Africa's pharmaceutical innovation programme.
I congratulate COHRED and the African Union for organising this meeting, and I look forward to this opportunity to continue our contributions to diminishing the burden of diseases in Africa.
I also acknowledge that providing essential medicines to our people presents a unique challenge that requires greater effort, cooperation and collaboration at the international level.
Partners such as the World Health Organisation, the Council on Health Research and Development, the African Network for Drugs and Diagnostics Innovation are very valuable in this process.
It's for this reason that I believe a close interaction amongst the participants who are here today is essential for strengthening pharmaceutical innovation and improving access to essential drugs, diagnostics, vaccines and medical devices in Africa.
I hope this conference will allow you to strengthen collaboration that is already in progress, and identify new areas of common interest within Africa as well as globally.
Your attention and participation in this event is greatly appreciated.
Issued by: Department of Science and Technology
18 February 2010
Source: Department of Science and Technology (http://www.dst.gov.za/)
