Rapper K'naan said Canada must "step up" to save lives in the developing world and MPs heeded his call Wednesday, passing an NDP private member's bill that will make low-cost generic drugs more readily available to millions of people in Africa.
MPs voted 172-111 on Wednesday to pass NDP MP Paul Dewar's bill, also known as Bill C-393, which amends Canada's Access to Medicines Regime.
The NDP, as well as most members of the Liberal and Bloc Quebecois caucuses, voted for the bill, while many Conservatives voted against it.
The legislation will now head to the Senate.
The changes would permit generic drug makers to manufacture patent-protected medications and ship them to specific developing countries. The generic manufacturers would also not be required to obtain a permit each time they wished to produce and ship a drug.
The drugs affected are those used to treat malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, among other illnesses. The bill could help millions of people in Africa who can't afford life-saving medications.
Rapper K'naan travelled to Parliament Hill Wednesday in advance of the vote to lobby MPs to support the bill.
The musician said Wednesday morning that Canada has the opportunity to "step up" and save millions of lives, particularly in Africa.
"It isn't so much about us, it's about other people, it's about people who need us right now," K'naan, who immigrated to Canada from Somalia, told CTV's Canada AM. "I mean the real important thing to distinguish is we are in a position to be helpful right now. Sometimes we may not be, we may be in a position of need, but at this moment Canada can step up and really live up to the Canadian idea, the Canadian value that we all know about."
K'naan was was joined in Ottawa by Stephen Lewis, former UN special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, and Dr. James Orbinski, founder of Dignitas International, as well as other heads of organizations devoted to combating AIDS in the developing world.
Lewis said the bill is "a tremendous opportunity for Canada."
"The bill comes at a climatic and critical moment in the annals of the fight against AIDS," said Lewis, who now heads his own aid foundation.
According to Lewis, both global funding and drugs to fight Aids, tuberculosis and malaria in Africa are dwindling.
Canadian generic drug maker Apotex Inc. has signalled a willingness to step up its efforts, but only if the legislation is passed. The drug maker produces a low-cost mixture that treats children suffering from HIV.
Richard Elliott, executive director of the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, said before the vote that the bill will cut the red tape that is preventing medications from getting to developing countries, despite the fact Parliament adopted the Access to Medicines Regime nearly seven years ago.
According to Elliott, under the current guidelines, each generic drug order requires a separate license from the patent-holder. This means, for example, that if one generic drug is to be shipped to five countries, five licenses must be obtained.
"There's all kinds of inefficiencies and disincentives built into the current legislation and this bill would sweep those away and make it more viable," Elliott told Canada AM.
Elliott said the big drug makers will not lose money under the generic scheme. Their profits come from North America and Europe, markets in which the low-cost generics will not be available.
"Let's remember we're talking about a system that is going to let lower cost generic drugs go to developing countries…and it's places where people are not purchasing medicines now because they're out of reach," Elliott said.
However, some critics argue that generic drugs are still too expensive for those living in dire poverty.
"The real obstacles to acquiring pharmaceuticals and appropriate care are poverty, corruption, a lack of capacity and weak infrastructure," said Liberal MP Keith Martin in a statement.
Martin said Canada should get more involved in training health-care workers and sending medical supplies where they are needed.
