The Initiative for Public Policy Analysis, (IPPA Nigeria), Africanroundtable, IMANI – Ghana, the Health Access Network, and the mPedigree Network cordially invite you to the inaugural West African Forum on Access to Quality Medicines and Vaccines.

Given the recent concern about the substandard quality of a significant proportion of the medicines sold and dispensed in the West African sub-region, the forum is urgently required to collect views of key stakeholders in the health sector about how to address these challenges. Furthermore, the high prices of essential pharmaceuticals, and the difficulty marketers of medicines have in selling their products in other countries beyond their own, are also major concerns that need to be discussed.

These views will be used in a proposed draft policy paper on how to expand access to quality medicines for decision makers in the region.

Date: November 24, 2009

Venue: La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, Accra

(Homowo Conference Center)

Time: 09:00AM – 6:00PM

Featuring: Babatunde Osotimehin, Minister of Health, Nigeria Dr. Paul Orhii, Director General, National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control, Nigeria Dr. Alex Dodoo, President, Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana Joseph Odumodu, President, Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group Of MAN Mazi Sam Ohuanbunwa, President, West African Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association Dr. Placido Monterio Cardoso, WAHO Director-General Dr. Daniel Kertesz, WHO Representative Dr. Stephen Opuni, Chief Executive Ghana Food & Drugs Board

We wish to invite you to the conference. Very limited seats are available. Please indicate acceptance by Saturday, November 21, 2009. To RSVP email olusegun@ippanigeria.org or call Olusegun Sotola on 08056706884.