Global Access to Medicine

In the developing world one of the greatest threats to survival is sickness. Access to treatment and lifesaving medicines is essential for survival. However, medicine is not cheap and when patented the price of medicine is simply too high for many developing nations to purchase or distribute affordably. With this in mind, there are nations who have begun producing generic versions of these drugs to ensure developing nations who cannot produce them have access to cheap and affordable treatment. Specifically, medications to treat HIV/AIDs, Malaria, Pneumonia and Tuberculosis are necessary to improve the rate of survival.
In March of 2011, the final vote on bill C-393 in House of Commons took place. The passing of Bill C-393 into law would ensure that developing nations could have access to drugs for these life threatening illnesses by allowing generic producers to produce the medicines and distribute them at cheaper prices. The bill passed in the House of Commons gaining the support of our elected members of parliament; however, it was later killed in the Senate. The rejection of this bill in the Senate perpetuates the current system in which the sick in the Global South have little or no access to necessary treatment.
This petition demands that the newly elected government of Canada, as of May 2nd, 2011 reintroduce and pass bill C-393 or an equivalent to ensure that Canada support global, affordable access to these necessary drugs.