Laverdière to join Grandmothers’ rally on Parliament Hill

Grandmothers show support for Bill C-398 to make medications more affordable for developing countries

Today, NDP MP Hélène Laverdière (Laurier – Ste-Marie) joined MPs and Senators from all parties at the National Hilltop Campaign rally on Parliament Hill in support of Bill C-398.

The Grandmothers Advocacy Network (GRAN), a national organization uniting grandmothers from across Canada, held rallies in seventeen communities across the country in support of Private Members’ Bill C-398, also known as the “Medicines for All” bill.

Bill C-398, tabled by Laverdière in February, would amend Canada’s Access to Medicines Regime (CAMR), legislation originally intended to facilitate the provision of affordable drugs to developing countries facing public health problems such as HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.

Initially passed unanimously by Parliament in 2004, CAMR is mired in red tape and is too difficult for generic pharmaceutical companies and importing countries to use.

“I hope all my colleagues in the House of Commons will support this important initiative to fix CAMR and get life-saving drugs to the people who need them,” said Laverdière.