Join us for a live-streamed talk and panel discussion followed by a mini hackathon, where you can find out more about the ESSENTIAL MEDICINES project.

In this event, our first of two for National Science Week 2020, we will first present the history of the essential medicines and some of the stories of their discovery and then explore questions about open source approaches to the treatment of ancient and emerging diseases, including COVID-19.

Breaking Good

Almost all of us have taken medicines at some point in our lives: to take away pain, to make us feel better, or to keep us alive. At the Breaking Good Initiative, we look forward to a time when everyone in the world has access to the medicines that they need. As part of National Science Week, we invite you join the ESSENTIAL MEDICINES project and work together with citizen scientists to explore questions of access to medicines in Australia and beyond.

What are the essential medicines?

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines the essential medicines as the medicines which 'satisfy the priority health care needs of the population', meaning that people should have access to these medicines at all times, in adequate amounts, and at affordable prices. At the Breaking Good Initiative, we realise that this sadly isn't always the case and we want to work with you to find out more about access to medicines for people all over the world.

If you enjoy this event you might want to sign up for ESSENTIAL MEDICINES - hackathon - a 12 hour hackathon with special sessions aimed specifically at school students (Y9/10) on Thursday 20 August from 10am - 10pm.

This event is presented by members of the Breaking Good Initiative from the School of Chemistry, University of Sydney and is supported by Inspiring Australia and the Faculty of Science at the University of Sydney.