PHA-Exchange> G8 urges lower tariffs to help poor get medicine

[Claudio]

From: "Vern Weitzel" <vern at coombs.anu.edu.au>

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060716/hl_afp/g8summithealth_060716144016;_ylt=A9G_RxHQULpEznMA1gGJOrgF;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--
>
> SAINT PETERSBURG (AFP) - Leaders of the Group of Eight industrialised 
> nations have called for lower customs duties on drug imports to bring 
> medicine and medical technology into easier reach for people in the 
> world's poorest countries.
>
> "We encourage governments around the world to consider eliminating import 
> tariffs and non-tariff barriers on medicines... as a measure to reduce 
> further the cost of healthcare for the poor," G8 leaders, meeting in Saint 
> Petersburg in Russia, said in a statement Sunday.
>
> They highlighted the fact that infectious diseases remain the leading 
> cause of death in the world and said "vigorous" action to counter this was 
> essential to global development and the well-being of the world's 
> population.
>
> "The situation is especially acute in least developed countries, 
> particularly in Africa where governments and their people face limited 
> access to prevention and essential healthcare information," the G8 leaders 
> said.
>
> They said "immediate attention" was required on bird flu, which could 
> become a human pandemic, and called for "effective, coordinated and 
> comprehensive action" to combat all infectious diseases.
>
> The leaders said they were determined to achieve "tangible progress" in 
> six general areas, including keeping earlier promises on countering major 
> infectious diseases, monitoring their spread and working on cures.
>
> They said that confronting the HIV/AIDS epidemic had been a top G8 
> priority for years and promised to continue efforts to check its spread 
> and that of other diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria that cause 
> millions of preventable deaths each year.
>
> The leaders noted that HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria continued to 
> have a particularly severe impact on Africa, "where these three deadly 
> diseases exist side-by-side with a plethora of other deadly, endemic 
> infections."
>
> "We reaffirm our partnership with African nations and with the African 
> Union, and will continue to work with them... to improve health systems 
> overall and to fight infectious diseases," the G8 leaders said.
>
> The Group of Eight (G8) comprises Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, 
> Japan, Russia and the United States.