PHA-Exchange> PEOPLE'S HEALTH ASSEMBLY CALLS FOR 'DUMPING' THE PATENT REGIME.

Tue Jul 19 16:51:17 PDT 2005

PRESS  URGENT.       (Total pages 2, including this)
For media enquiries: +593  919 6 1712 / +593  9873 9376 / +593  9453
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People's Health Movement PHM - re-establish health and equitable
development as top priorities with comprehensive primary health care
PEOPLE'S HEALTH ASSEMBLY CALLS FOR 

'DUMPING' THE PATENT REGIME.

"STOP PATENTS AND SAVE LIVES", ACTIVISTS APPEAL.

Cuenca(Ecuador), 19 July 2005: Delegates attending the second people's
health assembly today called for the total abolition of patents on
essential medicines. "Patents are shortening the lives of people and is
a curse for poor people" said Dr. Eduardo Espinoza, the former dean of
University of El Salvador.

"There are two serious concerns about essential medicines. Firstly, it
is about their availability. Secondly its affordability' said Mr.
Amitava Guha, a trade union leader from India. "The manifestations of
the unfair patent regime are taking a heavy toll on poor people,
especially those who are infected and affected with HIV / AIDS" said Mr.
Guha, who currently heads the Federation of Medical Representatives
Association of India.

The delegates at the second people's health assembly (currently being
held in Ecuador from 17-22 July) is galvanizing forces to fight the
unfair patent regime. Popular campaigns are on the anvil.

"AIDS is taking away a generation in Africa in front of our eyes and we
hold the transnational pharmaceutical companies for this mass murder"
said a spokesperson for the PHA-2.

The assembly is developing strategies to put pressure on countries to be
flexible in areas of parallel import and compulsory licensing so that
domestic pharmaceutical companies are saved. "This will help to ensure
the availability of generic medicines at cheaper prices" said Dr.
Eduardo Espinoza.

Recent reports indicate that neo liberal policies take a heavy toll on
poor people's health. "Neo liberal policies are wrecking the lives of
millions of poor people" said a PHA-2 spokesperson. "Kenya is under the
grip of HIV/ AIDS. Four thousand trained nurses and thousands of health
workers are unemployed because the government is not in a position to
employ them owing to IMF conditionalities" said Ms. Mwajuma S.
Masaiganah, Tanzania.

"The US government's war in Afghanistan and Iraq has diverted our
resources from education and health" said Mr. Jeff Conant, USA. "More
and more people are living in streets and today it is practically a war
on the poor in US" he said. The US delegate called for the immediate
stop to war and occupation of Iraq. "The continuing war and the military
expenditure have hit the social safety nets, education and health
services" he said.
For media enquiries for PHA-2, please call:        
+593  919 6 17 12 (Unnikrishnan - unnikru at yahoo.com  ) or    
*	Fabiola (Spanish) : 0 9453 0115 (From abroad : dial +593  9453
0115 )
*	Sanjana / Satya (English):  0 9156 2935  (From abroad : dial
+593  9156 2935) (sanjanab at yahoo.com) ; satyasagar at yahoo.com 
*	Gloria (Eng and Spanish): 0 9873 9376 (From abroad : dial +593
9873 9376) 

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