Deadline: 1 December, 2014 (extended)
Open to: residents of European countries, bellow the age of 30 and with interests in Global Health, Human Rights and Access to Medicine topic
Prizes: essays publications; money prizes from 100€ to 250 € + all-expenses paid participation at UAEM’s April 2015 European Conference in London, UK for the big winner
Description
There are massive disparities in global access to life-saving medical technologies. A third of the world’s population lacks affordable access to lifesaving medicines, and more than one billion people are affected by one or more “neglected diseases”, which only draw a tiny fraction of global R&D investment.
Increasingly, this global access and innovation crisis is beginning to take its toll in settings that were traditionally labelled “high-income”. For example, cuts in health coverage and increasing co‐payments result in a growing access to medicines crisis in Southern, Central and Eastern European countries. The exorbitant price tags of new oncology and Hepatitis C products are subject to an increasingly heated debate, and there is a growing public concern about the complete lack of research in new antibiotics and vaccines.
It’s time that citizens around the world demand a more equitable, needs-driven system of medical research and development. Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM) would like to hear YOUR thoughts and ideas! Take participation in their essay contest and help envision a future where medical innovations reach all who need them, regardless of nationality or income.
Essay Guidelines
Your essay should answer the following questions: Why is Access to Medicines a pressing European issue today? What role should universities play in solving the global medical access and innovation crisis?
Further on, your essay should fulfill the following principles:
- Essays will be accepted in English language only;
- Word limit: essays may not exceed 1500 words;
- Submission: please send your essay in 12-point font, 1.5 spacing, as a .doc, .odt or .pdf file attachment to essay@uaem-europe.org;
- Please include the following personal data in the email body only: NAME, DATE OF BIRTH, COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE, NATIONALITY, EMAIL ADDRESS, TELEPHONE NUMBER, UNIVERSITY AFFILIATION and YEAR OF STUDY (if applicable);
- Please do not provide any personal information in your competition entry, to ensure an objective and impartial evaluation;
- Style: Your text should be based on arguments, but should NOT be written in academic style. Please avoid excessive citations and footnotes. Please do not include more than 10 references in your essay. Graphs and tables are allowed, but not compulsory. You may include photos, but they have to be taken by yourself;
- Team work is permitted. If you decide to go for a collective submission, your team should not have more than 3 members. Team members need not be residents of the same country.
Participants should be:
- below the age of 30, and be current residents of a European country;
- be interested in Global Health, Human Rights and Access to Medicine topics;
- be creative, open-minded and full of ideas.
Prizes
- 1st Prize: 250 € prize money + an all-expenses paid participation at UAEM’s April 2015 European Conference in London, UK + essay published via UAEM’s website;
- 2nd Prize: 150€ prize money + essay published via UAEM’s website;
- 3rd Prize: 100€ prize money + essay published via UAEM’s website.
How to Apply?
You can submit your essays to the following e-mail address: essay@uaem-europe.org no later than December 1st, 2014 (deadline is extended)
Please assure that your essays is according to the essay guidelines.
UAEM European Youth Essay Competition 2014 Facebook page
I am interested healt and medicine. It is very important for me how we must eating or which meal is so harmful.