The Medicines Transparency Alliance (MeTA) is a network of individuals and organisations in seven countries. The network includes health workers, administrators, civil servants, politicians, pharmaceutical company employees, civil society and international organisations and the media.

• AIM: improving the lives of millions of  people by helping them get access to the medicines they need.
• METHOD: the use of the tools of transparency and accountability.

They are also committed to the core principles that underpin MeTA's approach. Signing up to these principles is an important first step for all stakeholders wanting to engage in the MeTA process.

Our core principles are:

• Governments are responsible for providing access to health care, including access to essential medicines.
• Stronger and more transparency systems and improved supply chain management will increase access.
• Increasing equitable access to medicines improves health and enables other human development objectives to be achieved.
• Improved information about medicines can inform public debate, and provide a basis for better policy.
• A multi-stakeholder approach that involves all sectors - private, public and civil society - will lead to greater accountability.