KEY ACTIVITIES OF GAPRI

GAPRI's Activities are structured around key projects that target different barriers to accessing essential pain medicines.

ADVOCACY AND POLICY

At the international level, GAPRI works closely with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the WHO, the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), the Commissionon Narcotic Drugs (CND), and other high-level organisations to improve knowledge of the problem and coordinate collaboration to implement solutions.

At the national level, GAPRI works closely with UICC members and key partners to give a strong voice to the issue of untreated pain and make access to pain relief a national public health priority. GAPRI also supports civil-society groups by coordinating advocacy campaigns that can effectively reach national governments and the global community.

GAPRI’s public advocacy campaign, Treat the Pain, engages and educates through its website, www.TreatThePain.org, and various social media outlets including Facebook and Twitter. The website serves as a shared platform and encourages contributions from the public, policymakers, clinicians and patients from around the world.

ASSISTING GOVERNMENTS TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO PAIN RELIEF

GAPRI works closely with governments and civil society organisations to integrate effective pain relief and palliative care into public health systems. GAPRI pairs fellows (professionals who are nationals of the country they are working in) with government officials to assist with increasing access to and demand for pain treatment. The agenda for the fellows’ activities is set jointly by GAPRI and the government with consultation from local civil society groups and palliative care organisations.

In Nigeria, GAPRI has placed a full-time fellow to serve as the Special Assistant to the Director of Food and Drug Services for Access to Pain Relief. The fellow supports the procurement and distribution of morphine and will work to grow the demand and track usage. 

IMPROVING THE MARKET FOR ESSENTIAL PAIN MEDICINES

GAPRI addresses supply and demand challenges related to pain medicines by engaging both buyers and suppliers to improve the market and implement sustainable solutions. In Uganda, GAPRI has worked with the National Medical Stores and Hospice Africa Uganda (HAU) to create a national oral morphine production programme that has reduced the government’s cost of purchasing morphine by 40% and substantially increased availability. In return, the government has agreed to provide morphine free to all patients, including those treated at non-government hospices.

ENGAGING KEY STAKEHOLDERS AND LOCAL PARTNERS

GAPRI leverages the extensive membership base of UICC to create a group of partners and advocates – the GAPRI Envoys. The Envoys support GAPRI through networking, strategic advocacy efforts, and collecting data and information. GAPRI has more than 50 Envoys in low-and middle-income countries who alert GAPRI staff to drug stock-outs, advocate for interventions, provide technical guidance, facilitate introductions, and assist with the collection of data on product registration and clinical guidelines.