Patients must be informed as healthcare landscape in Latin America evolves

Press release: A new resource has recently been launched to help Latin American patients understand biological medicines and make informed decisions about their care.

As governments work to increase access to healthcare in Latin America, more biological and biosimilar medicines will become available. Patients and patients’ organizations must understand more about these medicines and what this means in a national and regional context.

The new online platform, called IAPO Americas, is available in Spanish, English and Portuguese. It provides patients with up-to-date, evidence-based information on the science, technology and regulatory information relevant to biological and biosimilar medicines. The range of resources, events and blog discussions available on the platform will ensure that patients are informed about current developments and that the patient voice is heard.

Patients must be involved at every level of decision-making

Health and medical decisions made at every level – including those to do with biological medicines - ultimately affect patients' lives. Patients have a right to play a meaningful role in decisions made about their care. Their voices must be heard to ensure that decisions reflect the needs, preferences and capabilities of patients, which can lead to a more appropriate and cost-effective way of addressing many of the challenges facing health systems today.

The platform has been developed by the International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations (IAPO), a global alliance that represents patients from all nationalities and disease areas.

Eva Maria Ruiz de Castilla, Governing Board member of IAPO, said,

‘We hope this platform will enable patients and the organizations who represent them to make informed judgements on the value of biological and biosimilar medicines and to actively engage in debate and discussion with other stakeholders involved in healthcare.’

There is growing need to explore the questions around biosimilar medicines. As they become more widely available, issues such as regulation, transparency, access and availability of patient information will become even more important. IAPO’s aim is that IAPO Americas will be a useful and guiding resource both now and in the years to come.  

IAPO Americas launches on Tuesday 17 March and is available at: www.iapoamericas.org  

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ESPAÑOL / PORTUGUÊS

The International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations (IAPO) is a unique global alliance representing patients of all nations across all disease areas. We work to promote patient-centred healthcare around the world. With over 240 members, IAPO represents an estimated 365 million patients. Find more at www.iapo.org.uk

For more information, please contact Ian Ford, IAPO Communications Officer at ian@iapo.org.uk or +44 20 7270 8282