PAIN TREATMENT ADVOCACY PROGRAMME
GAPRI Pain Treatment Advocacy Project is changing the awareness and practice of the general public, international and domestic policymakers, clinicians, and patients related to pain treatment.
GAPRI works to actively facilitate change through targeted advocacy, lobbying, media and awareness campaigns.
At the international level
GAPRI works to improve the understanding of the problem and coordinate collaboration to implement solutions. Significant efforts are directed at the United Nations (UN) level, including the UN General Assembly, the World Health Organization (WHO), the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), and others.
At the national level
GAPRI is dedicated to giving the issue of untreated pain a strong advocacy voice on the ground and making access to pain relief a national priority. Working with local UICC members and key partners, GAPRI engages with national governments to advocate for increased attention to the provision of pain relief and for the government to implement solutions. The Advocacy Project supports civil society groups by creating a coordinated advocacy voice that can be heard by the government and the international community.
In countries where high-level change in national regulatory and prescribing policies is underway, GAPRI will be working with local public relations and advertising firms to design campaigns targeted at clinicians, patients, and families. The goal of these efforts will be to dispel harmful myths about pain treatment and empower clinicians and patients to effectively treat pain at this last step of the supply chain.
GAPRI FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMME
The GAPRI Fellowship Programme pairs technical staff with government officials in low and middle-income countries to assist governments with increasing access to and demand for pain treatment.
GAPRI Fellows are nationals of the country/region they are working in or expatriates with extensive international work experience. The agenda for the Fellows’ activities is set jointly by GAPRI and the government and in conjunction with local civil society groups and palliative care organisations. The Fellow assists their government counterparts with advancing pain relief as a national priority.
ENVOY PROGRAMME
The GAPRI Envoy Programme leverages the extensive membership base of UICC to create a group of partners and advocates who support GAPRI through network building, strategic advocacy, and data-collection.
The Envoy Programme ensures that in-country advocacy is locally appropriate, informed, and performed by individuals and organisations that understand the local context. With the assistance of membership organisations like the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), GAPRI identifies and invites individuals to become GAPRI Envoys.
GAPRI Envoys are asked to work on GAPRI activities that may include:
- Alerting GAPRI staff to drug stock-outs or upcoming guidelines revisions
- Advocating for specific interventions within their country
- Providing technical advice in the design of projects in their country
- Facilitating introductions and meetings for GAPRI staff and partners
- Assisting with the collection of data on product registration or clinical guidelines
SUPPLIER NETWORK
GAPRI Supply Project engages pain medication buyers and suppliers to improve the market for pain medicines.
This project addresses the supply-side challenges of access to pain relief, including lack of registration of essential formulations, poor product quality, lack of appropriate formulations for pediatric patients, and frequent lengthy national stock-outs. Addressing supply-side challenges is an essential component to making pain relief universally available.
If you are interested in any of these areas of activity, please contact gapri@uicc.org.