Day 3

The final day of the UN DPI/NGO Advance Global Health Conference began with the same buzz of productivity, passion and good will that had become synonymous with the conference’s ethos.


The day commenced with the 4th Roundtable focused on the topic of “Achieving the MDGs in our changing world”. Panalist De Caleb Otto warned that multinational communication and globalization results in an ease of exploitation of the poor and a decrease in family values. Of note was Dr Sue Wareham’s discussion that the achievement of the MDGs would be easier if less money was on war ($US1.46 trillion globally/year) and more on health and aid. She estimates that only $US135 billion is needed in total to achieve the MDGs. Clearly there is room to put pressure on our governments to realign national priorities. Dr Wareham’s final words were a call to rid the world of nuclear weapons. In her words: “If one country has them, another country will want them too. If we have them, we will one day use them again and the results will be catastrophic.”


The workshop titled “Enhancing Access to Medicine – A Crucial Step in Achieving the MDGs” sparked similarly enriching discussion. Dr Faith Mwangi-Powell from the African Palliative Care Association, Uganda, opened the workshop by probing delegates to contemplate the ‘bucket list’ of a male American cancer patient versus a female African cancer patient. She discussed the deficiency of adequate morphine use in Africa (10% of the world’s population consumes 84% of the world’s morphine) and the obstacles faced in addressing this issue. Presentations from Lloyd Sansom (World Health Professions Alliance), Jonathan Liberman (International Union Against Cancer) and Nick Watts (International Federation of Medical Students’ Association) followed. Lloyd Sansom in particular provided intriguing and informative insights. Opening with a comparison of the cost of medicine for chronic disease in the developing world compared to Australia, he effectively articulated the inequity and scale of the problem. With Australia as the case example, he detailed the fundamental role of a National Medicine Policy in the provision and affordability of medicines within a nation. He reflected on the importance of consumer confidence in generic brands as well as adequate distribution of drugs in developing nations. Jonathan then discussed intellectual property law with regard to drug patents and placed the discussion in the context of up scaling global emphasis and treatment for non-communicable diseases. Nick Watts rounded up the session with some inspirational examples of how universities and students can successfully campaign to increase access of essential medications in the developing world (see http://essentialmedicine.org/).


At the Closing Ceremony, simple but touching performances from Collingwood Primary School and the Australian Children’s Choir reminded us all why we were there. Indeed, as a youth delegate, the conference as a whole not only acted as a reminder of what needs to be done in global health but significantly, also imbued a sense of empowerment in participants. The UN DPI/NGO conference reinforced that Youth do have a valuable voice. Youth can make valuable contributions towards achieving the MDGs. The fate of our world depends on our collective actions. It is our responsibility and moral imperative to act so that good health and well-being is not just reality for the fortunate few but, for everyone.