PHA-Exchange> 22 Members of Congress urge USTR to respect Thai CL for efavirenz

[Claudio]

From: "Bala" <bala at haiap.org>
>
> Twenty-two members of the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday sent
> a
> letter to U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab asking USTR not to
> interfere in Thailand's decision to issue a compulsory license on the
> AIDS
> drug efavirenz.
>
> The letter states:
> "We are writing to urge that the United States respect the decision of
> the
> Thai government to issue a compulsory license on the AIDS drug
> efavirenz.
> . . Unfortunately, it is our understanding that the United States
> government may be attempting to intervene in the Thai government’s
> decision to issue and implement the compulsory license for efavirenz.
> As
> you are aware, the Trade Promotion Authority Act of 2002 mandates that
> United States trade policy respect other nations’ public health
> initiatives under Doha. We therefore call on you to respect the rights
> of
> Thailand and other nations to implement important and permitted public
> health safeguards."
>
> The letter is signed by Representatives Tom Allen, Sander Levin, Henry
> Waxman, Jim McDermott, Fortney Pete Stark, John Lewis, James Moran,
> Lloyd
> Doggett, Earl Blumenauer, Charles Gonzalez, Betty McCollum, Linda
> Sanchez,
> Carolyn Maloney, Hilda Solis, Dennis Kucinich, Barbara Lee, Michael
> Michaud, Loretta Sanchez, Janice Schakowsky, Maxine Waters, John
> Tierney,
> and James McGovern.