PETALING JAYA - The international community acknowledged Malaysia for being the first nation to invoke compulsory licensing allowing hepatitis C patients to gain access to affordable medicine.
The country was awarded the Leadership Award in Intellectual Property and Access to Medicines.
The Government received the award at the Global Summit of Intellectual Property and Access to Medicines in Morocco on Monday, said Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
“A pride to the nation. Malaysia is a trailblazer when it comes to access to medicine for hepatitis C. Congratulations to Dr Salmah Bahri and team,” he said on his Facebook post on Wednesday night.
The summit was organised by the International Treatment Preparedness Coalition (ITPC).
It brings together community representatives, governments, civil society, academics, experts and international agencies to look at the impact of international trade rules on public health.
It also highlighted the role of NGOs and patients in the implementation flexibilities of Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS).
In July, The Star carried a front page story highlighting the plight of about 400,000 Malaysians
