PHA-Exchange> UNICEF LAUDS CANADA'S MOVE TO PRODUCE CHEAPER AIDS DRUGS FOR POOR COUNTRIES

[Claudio]

> UNICEF LAUDS CANADA'S MOVE TO PRODUCE CHEAPER AIDS DRUGS FOR POOR
COUNTRIES
> New York, Sep 29 2003  5:00PM
> The chief of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) today lauded
Canada's push to quickly enact legislation allowing makers
> of generic medicines to export cheaper versions of patented HIV/AIDS drugs
to poor countries heavily impacted by the pandemic.
>
> "The hardest hit countries are seeing HIV prevalence rates as high as 40
per cent among young people. This scenario spells
> devastation for these countries," Executive Director Carol Bellamy said.
"Like Canada, other countries and players need to think
> much more creatively about steps they can take to energize and politicize
the global response to this massive AIDS emergency."
>
> If the law passes, Canada would become the first of the eight most
industrialized countries to implement World Trade Organization
> (WTO) agreements that allow heavily impacted countries to import
antiretrovirals at a preferential price provided they cannot
> produce the drugs domestically and would not use them for commercial
purposes.