HIV/Aids

In January, the Government of Thailand ordered compulsory license on three pharmaceutical substances including Kaletra (Abbott). Thailand is running 'Thai Program of Universal Subsidized Access to AIDS Treatment' from 2004 and 80 thousand patients are benefited from this program. Drugs for second-line treatment are about 14 times more expensive than the first-line drugs. Thereforesecuring inexpensive second-line drug is essential for the success of this program. If Thailand cannot supply these medicines, many patients would have to die.

BANGKOK, Feb 2 (IPS) - Civil society and humanitarian groups slammed the new head of the World Health Organisation (WHO), on the sidelines of a meeting here, after she appeared to favour the interests of pharmaceutical giants over the plight of the sick and the poor in the developing world.

Pharmaceutical company Novartis is taking the Indian government to court. If the company wins, millions of people across the globe could have their sources of affordable medicines dry up.

Why we need to take action now

The European Union Commission has, according to its press release today, urged the EU to accept amendments to WTO Agreement on Intellectual Property, which it says would pave the way to provide wider access to generic medicine. Médecins Sans Frontières describes this as utterly 'misleading'.

In a letter addressed to EFTA-trade and foreign ministers, 50 organisations urged the trade association member states to drop provisions from a free trade agreement with Thailand that would restrict access to cheap medicines and credit and limit farmers rights. A second round of negotiations is taking place this week in Thailand. The undersigning NGOs fear that a free trade agreement between EFTA and Thailand could have a negative impact on Thai society.