1 July 2021
Geneva – Today, the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) welcomed Sasha Volgina as its newest Board member, representing communities living with or affected by a disease of strategic importance to MPP.
Sasha currently works as Director of Programs at the Global Network for People Living with HIV (GNP+), a network for people living with HIV, run by people living with HIV (PLHIV). She brings to the Board over 20 years of experience working with the PLHIV community, advocating for access to better treatment options, fighting human rights violations, stigma and discriminations against PLHIV.
“We are delighted to welcome Sasha to our Board,” said Dr Marie-Paule Kieny, Chair of the MPP Board. “She will be a strong asset as she will ensure MPP’s strategy and actions are aligned with the needs of the community affected by the disease areas covered in our mandate, and in particular those living in low- and middle-income countries.”
Sasha was diagnosed with HIV in 2000. This prompted her to get involved in HIV activism in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and globally. Among other activities, she co-founded many advocacy organisations, such as FrontAIDS (the first treatment advocacy group in Russia), Svecha (one of the first community-based organisations), the first All-Russian Women Network “E.V.A.” and the “Patients in Control” Treatment Access Movement. Through her tireless advocacy work with all the stakeholders involved in the HIV response, especially access to medicines, Sasha wants the voices of communities to be heard at all stages of the decision making process so that the right medicines reach the right people.
Read more about the work of MPP’s Governance Board
Press and Media
The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) is a United Nations-backed public health organisation working to increase access to and facilitate the development of life-saving medicines for low- and middle-income countries. Through its innovative business model, MPP partners with civil society, governments, international organisations, industry, patient groups, and other stakeholders to prioritise and license needed medicines and pool intellectual property to encourage generic manufacture and the development of new formulations.
To date, MPP has signed agreements with 22 patent holders for 13 HIV antiretrovirals, one HIV technology platform, three hepatitis C direct-acting antivirals, a tuberculosis treatment, a cancer treatment, four long-acting technologies, a post-partum haemorrhage medicine, three oral antiviral treatments for COVID-19 and 16 COVID-19 technologies.
MPP was founded by Unitaid, which continues to be MPP’s main funder. MPP’s work on access to essential medicines is also funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Government of Canada, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the Government of Flanders. MPP’s activities in COVID-19 are undertaken with the financial support of the Japanese Government, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the German Agency for International Cooperation, and SDC.