Virus of ‘free
trade’ fatal for those with HIV/AIDS
12 July 2004, Bangkok
The
rapidly spreading virus of free trade has proved as fatal to those living
with HIV/AIDS as the disease itself according to Health NOW!, a global
alliance of activist groups fighting the patenting of life-saving medicine
by drug multinationals.
Speaking at the XV international AIDS
conference in Bangkok a Health NOW! spokesperson argued that millions of
lives could be saved if developing world nations were not forced to sign
unfair trade agreements by developed countries. Multilateral as well as
bilateral free trade pacts he said were devastating the lives of the poor,
contributing to the spread of HIV/AIDS and compounding the devastation
caused by the pandemic.
“Free trade demagogues are also
preventing patients in developing countries from accessing AIDS
medication, which has been kept out of their reach because of patent
protection mandated by agreements under the auspices of the World Trade
Organization (WTO)” says the People’s Charter on HIV/ AIDS an
initiative of the People’s Health Movement. People’s Health Movement,
a grassroot movement, has presence in early 100 countries.
The People’s Charter on HIV/ AIDS,
that will be unveiled during the AIDS conference, calls for people-based
actions to combat HIV / AIDS.
“Patents are providing drug
manufacturers from North virtual monopolies,” said Dr. Prem John, a
campaigner from India, “while prohibiting poor countries from supplying
their AIDS patients with lifesaving medicines.”
According to the World Health
Organization (WHO) there are 6 million people in poor countries who need
antiretroviral treatment yet less than 5% of them have access to these
drugs.
A health advocate from Philippines
identified TRIPS, an agreement that regulates intellectual property rights
under the WTO regime, as the main culprit. “TRIPS will have to be fully
implemented in most poor countries by 2005,” said Dr. Delen De La Paz of
the Health- NOW campaign. “Stringent patent protection will only ensure
more profits for the drug companies. We need to stop it” she said.
She added that currently patent
provisions that apply to medicines are integrated in just about any trade
agreement: “Earlier this year, the United States has clinched the
Central American Free Trade Agreement that allows even stiffer patent
protection than the WTO and it is about to start negotiations for a free
trade agreement (FTA) with Thailand.”
Under this agreement, Thailand will be
disallowed to produce cheap AIDS drugs in order to give the big
pharmaceutical companies free rein. Even Cambodia, Burma and Laos will be
affected as they are now buying cheap AIDS drugs from Thailand.
“Public health should be give priority
over company wealth,” said a campaigner from India. “Common sense
dictates that trade agreements have no business interfering with
people’s health. That is why we say that WTO and FTAs should be kicked
out of all matters pertaining to people’s health” he said.
Health NOW! campaign looks at the issues
comprehensively. “Free trade agreements are an example of economic
aggression and basically no different from the US-led wars on Afghanistan
and Iraq.”
The campaign denounces economic as well
as military aggression and its effects on people’s health. “Both are
two branches on the same tree,” a campaign spokesperson remarked.
“It’s about profit from oil, medicines or whatever, at the expense of
people’s very lives. For us it is but logical to oppose the occupation
of Iraq and this kind of free trade agreements alike. The point is that
people have to fight for the people’s right to health.”
