ACT UP/Phila. Press Release re. White House announcement

[James Love <love@cptech.org>]

This was the Act Up Philly press release
Jamie

--------

Subject: ACT UP/Phila. Press Release re. White House announcement
   Date: Mon, 19 Jul 1999 15:53:52 -0400
  From: Asia Russell <asia@CritPath.Org> (by way of Bob Lederer)
    To: Health GAP Coalition:

ACT UP PHILADELPHIA 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 19, 1999 
CONTACT: Asia Russell, (215) 731-1844, page 215-838-2355 
Julie Davids, page 215-212-9050 
If you reach our voice mail system, leave a message in box 9. 

                                                            
V.P. ATTEMPTS TO DEFLECT CRITICISM WITH GLOBAL AIDS GESTURE: 
GORE CONTINUES TO DENY LIFE-SAVING DRUGS TO MILLIONS, FLAUNTING 
INTERNATIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS AT REQUEST OF DRUG COMPANIES 

Vice President continues role as drug company puppet, substituting tax 
dollars for meaningful trade reform & hiding State Department role in 
blocking drug access 

Al Gore attempted to dodge the storm of campaign-trail criticism on
global 
AIDS policy today by announcing a White House funding request of $100 
million for treatment and prevention efforts in poor nations. 70% would
go 
to sub-Saharan Africa, with the remainder allocated to Asian nations and 
the former Soviet Union. 


"Gore is hyping the President's mild budget request -- a request that 
faces an uncertain future in Congress," said Asia Russell of ACT UP 
Philadelphia, "But the future of 22.5 million people with HIV in Africa 
is more certain - little relief from this relentless wave of death." 

"Gore could save millions of lives at no cost to taxpayers simply by 
allowing South Africa, Thailand, India, and Brazil to do what wealthy 
nations do: manufacture generics or import more affordable versions of 
expensive drugs," said Julie Davids of ACT UP Philadelphia, the nation's 
largest grassroots AIDS activist organization. "Voters nationwide are 
calling for Gore to admit the truth: compulsory licensing is legal, poor 
countries are not violating world trade agreements, and the AIDS crisis 
worldwide is fueled by the greed of his donors and advisors from the 
pharmaceutical industry." 

As Vice President, Gore serves as co-chair of the South Africa 
Bi-national Commission and has utilized this post to threaten trade 
sanctions against South Africa for their 1997 Medicines Act, which would 
allow for compulsory licensing and parallel importing. As candidate for 
president, Gore is surrounded by current or former drug company
executives 
and lobbyists as top advisors, funders and fundraisers. (Details
available 
upon request.) 

"US politicians would rather throw a drop of tax dollars in the funding 
bucket rather than anger their drug company campaign donors," added Paul 
Davis of ACT UP. "Al Gore and the State Department are threatening to 
sanction poor countries that wish to produce generic versions of
otherwise 
unattainable AIDS drugs." 

AIDS activists demand that Gore immediately take the following steps to 
address AIDS worldwide: 

End threats of trade sanctions and restore aid to South Africa and other 
nations utilizing or planning compulsory licensing and parallel
importing 
of essential AIDS medications. 

Direct the Administration to exercise its "public-use rights" for AIDS 
and other essential drugs developed with taxpayer dollars, such as d4T, 
ddI, and the protease inhibitor ritonavir, turning the patents over to 
global health organizations for low-cost production. 

Support the Sanders Amendment to HR 2145, the State Department 
Authorization bill, to prohibit State Department officials from
punishing 
nations for engaging in parallel importing and compulsory licensing - 
vote expected tomorrow.