The Medicines Patent Pool is thrilled to be present at #AFRAVIH2024 taking place in Yaoundé, Cameroon from 16-19 April.

Tuesday 16 April, 15h30-17h00, SALLE 4 – Salle de réunion E

MPP Executive Director Charles Gore will participate in Unitaid symposium and discuss MPP’s contribution to the flight against HIV through facilitating access to affordable essential medicines in low- and middle-income countries.

Symposium UNITAID : Transformer la Réponse Mondiale au VIH et ses Co-Infections en Accélérant l’Accès aux Innovations en Santé pour Tous

Thursday 18 April, 17h15-18h45, SALLE 6 – Salle de réunion A

MPP is holding a symposium on the 10 years of efforts to enabling access to dolutegravir.

Symposium MEDICINES PATENT POOL : 10 ans d’efforts pour un large accès au DTG : cette molécule qui a transformé I=I en réalité

In April 2014, the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) and ViiV Healthcare signed two licensing agreements to accelerate access to quality and affordable versions of dolutegravir (DTG) and its combinations, including TLD, the fixed-dose combination of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, lamivudine, and dolutegravir. To date, the agreements allow generic manufacturers to produce low-cost versions of DTG for at least 95 countries for the adult agreement and 123 countries for the children’s agreement.

Today, approximately 24 million people take generic DTG-based treatment regimens daily. This treatment has revolutionised the lives of people living with HIV, as it is a highly effective and well-tolerated combination that contributes to rapidly suppressing the virus and reducing transmission.

In April 2024, as we celebrate 10 years of equitable access to DTG, crucial questions arise regarding the actual adoption of DTG in Francophone Africa and its impact on achieving the 90-90-90 targets. According to UNAIDS, West and Central Africa accounts for 4.8 million of the 39 million people living with HIV. There are 160,000 new infections per year, including 51,000 among children under 15 years old. HIV-related deaths amount to 120,000 per year.

This symposium organised by the Medicines Patent Pool will look back on the past 10 years of access to dolutegravir and raise questions related to the future of HIV treatments.

5:15 PM • Opening of the symposium, Gelise MCCULLOUGH (Geneva, Switzerland)

5:17 PM • Introduction: From vision to reality, optimising first-line ARV treatments in Francophone Africa, Philippe DUNETON (Le Grand-Saconnex, Switzerland)

5:25 PM • Video on DTG in Senegal

5:30 PM • The challenges and opportunities related to the deployment and acceptance of DTG-based regimens, particularly for key populations: the case of Senegal Eloi, KAMBANCK (Dakar, Senegal)

5:35 PM • Ensuring access to DTG for women and children, Adigata Nadia ADINGRA (Abidjan, Côte D’Ivoire)

5:40 PM • Video message from ViiV Healthcare reflecting on the highlights of the license signing and partnership with MPP

5:45 PM • Roundtable on the impact, challenges, and upcoming opportunities moderated by Fogué Foguito, Executive Director Positive-Generation, Cameroon, Fogué FOGUITO (Yaoundé)

  • Ibrahima BA (Fatick, Senegal),
  • Esteban BURRONE (Geneva, Switzerland),
  • Laura CIAFFI (Yaounde, Cameroon),
  • Marie-Huguette KINGBO (Abidjan, Côte D’Ivoire),
  • Charles KOUANFACK (Yaoundé, Cameroon)

6:20 PM • Questions & Answers

6:35 PM • Conclusion, Thomas TCHETMI (Dakar, Senegal)