To Drugs Controller General of India, Dr. GN Singh and the Drugs Technical Advisory Committee
A proposal is being considered by the Drugs Technical Advisory Committee to make Emergency Contraceptive Pills (ECPs), like the I-pill, available over the counter without a prescription throughout India.
Having access to ECPs over the counter is important -- many people across India rely on these pills when regular contraception, like condoms or birth control pills fail. Victims of rape rely on these pills to avoid pregnancies.
The Drugs Controller General of India Dr. GN Singh and the Drugs Technical Advisory Committee (DTAC) are meeting in one month to discuss the proposal and make a decision.
Could you urgently sign the petition asking Dr. Singh and the DTAC to approve this proposal and help make access to ECPs a reality for hundreds of thousands of women in India?
This is a huge step forward for our campaign which asked the Drugs Control Director in Tamil Nadu Abdul Khader to ensure these pills were available to women in the state. After two months of regular follow up, he has not only agreed with our campaign, but has also submitted a proposal to the Centre asking them to ensure that ECPs are available over the counter across India by moving them from Schedule H to Schedule K of the Drugs Act.
The Drugs Controller General of India, Dr. Singh himself acknowledged the proposal and promised careful deliberation on it before making a decision. He has also said that the idea behind the proposal is to increase availability and accessibility of the medicine in remote areas while keeping them affordable.
This is promising - Dr. Singh recognises the weight this proposal carries and the impact it can have. If thousands of us sign the petition now and urge him to give a nod to this proposal, we can show him public support and backing for his belief that ECPs need to be accessible. Jhatkaa volunteers will be in Delhi later this month and will take your signatures straight to Dr. Singh’s office.
Help ensure that this proposal gets approved by the Drug Consultative Committee? Please sign the petition now.
If we win this, women across the country will be assured access to affordable, safe and less stigmatized reproductive health care - a huge relief in a country where women still struggle to assert control over their own bodies.
This is a huge milestone for the campaign that we launched in September in partnership with Vaishnavi Sundar, an independent filmmaker and activist. And it was possible because you added your voice to the campaign and shared it with your friends.
Add your voice again for women’s reproductive rights. Sign the petition now to make ECPs more accessible in India!
More information: Emergency Contraceptive Pills may soon be available over the counter at chemist stores in India, Economic Times, 10 December 2016
To Drugs Controller General of India, Dr. GN Singh and the Drugs Technical Advisory Committee
A proposal is being considered by the Drugs Technical Advisory Committee to make Emergency Contraceptive Pills (ECPs), like the I-pill, available over the counter without a prescription throughout India.
Having access to ECPs over the counter is important -- many people across India rely on these pills when regular contraception, like condoms or birth control pills fail. Victims of rape rely on these pills to avoid pregnancies.
The Drugs Controller General of India Dr. GN Singh and the Drugs Technical Advisory Committee (DTAC) are meeting in one month to discuss the proposal and make a decision.
Could you urgently sign the petition asking Dr. Singh and the DTAC to approve this proposal and help make access to ECPs a reality for hundreds of thousands of women in India?
This is a huge step forward for our campaign which asked the Drugs Control Director in Tamil Nadu Abdul Khader to ensure these pills were available to women in the state. After two months of regular follow up, he has not only agreed with our campaign, but has also submitted a proposal to the Centre asking them to ensure that ECPs are available over the counter across India by moving them from Schedule H to Schedule K of the Drugs Act.
The Drugs Controller General of India, Dr. Singh himself acknowledged the proposal and promised careful deliberation on it before making a decision. He has also said that the idea behind the proposal is to increase availability and accessibility of the medicine in remote areas while keeping them affordable.
This is promising - Dr. Singh recognises the weight this proposal carries and the impact it can have. If thousands of us sign the petition now and urge him to give a nod to this proposal, we can show him public support and backing for his belief that ECPs need to be accessible. Jhatkaa volunteers will be in Delhi later this month and will take your signatures straight to Dr. Singh’s office.
Help ensure that this proposal gets approved by the Drug Consultative Committee? Please sign the petition now.
If we win this, women across the country will be assured access to affordable, safe and less stigmatized reproductive health care - a huge relief in a country where women still struggle to assert control over their own bodies.
This is a huge milestone for the campaign that we launched in September in partnership with Vaishnavi Sundar, an independent filmmaker and activist. And it was possible because you added your voice to the campaign and shared it with your friends.
Add your voice again for women’s reproductive rights. Sign the petition now to make ECPs more accessible in India!
More information: Emergency Contraceptive Pills may soon be available over the counter at chemist stores in India, Economic Times, 10 December 2016