[Ip-health] The Nation (Thailand)-Medicines out of US trade pact

[Rachel COHEN]

Medicines out of US trade pact

Published on Jul 9, 2004


Prime Minister Thaksin Shina-watra yesterday assured Aids activists that he
would not allow stricter protection of intellectual property rights on
drugs to be included in free-trade-agreement negotiations with the United
States.

"I am a bargainer. I know. I won't allow any issue that would prevent
greater access to needed medicines by Thais," Thaksin was quoted as telling
the representatives of 18 local and international Aids activists who met
him at Government House yesterday.

"Learning from the experience of Singapore, which has already signed a
free-trade pact with the US, we will not rush on this issue," he said.

"The negotiating team must inform me before they commit or agree to any
medicine-related issues," he said.

The activists aired their concerns on such pressing issues as better access
to treatment for some 700,000 Thais living with HIV/Aids, and the rising
HIV infection rate among youths, homosexual men and migrant workers.

Aids Access Foundation director Nimit Thien-udom said the premier welcomed
the activists proposals, admitting that many issues were new to him.

The premier also expressed interest in exploring the possibility of using
compulsory licensing to improve access to treatment for Thais. The measure
allows government drug agencies or private companies to override patents
and produce low-cost, generic versions of a patented drug, while the patent
holders are paid royalty fees.

Nimit said Thaksin and Public Health Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan also
pledged to look into concerns raised by the activists over the policy of
the Social Security Office to have Aids patients under their scheme co-pay
for the cost of anti-retroviral drugs.

"Aids patients under any insurance scheme should not have to pay for their
drugs," he said.

While the activists praised the premier for his willingness to cooperate on
most issues, they said he showed no interest in issues related to drugs
users and migrant workers. Neither did he exhibit a good grasp of HIV
prevention among the young, apart from the promotion of condom use.

The chairman of the Thai Network of Drug Users, Paisan Tan-ud, said they
would have to do more to convince Thaksin to see the importance of
supporting programmes like the distribution of clean needles for drug users
to reduce the transmission of HIV.

Thaksin has brushed off proposals for such programmes. However, Paisan said
that following persistent questioning by international activists, the prime
minister said he would address the issues in his opening speech to the 15th
International Aids Conference on Sunday.

Mukdawan Sakboon,

Arthit Khwankhom

THE NATION


---
Rachel M. Cohen
U.S. Director, Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines
Doctors Without Borders/M=E9decins Sans Fronti=E8res (MSF)
333 Seventh Avenue, 2nd Floor * New York, NY * 10001-5004 * USA
Tel: +1-212-655-3762
Mobile: +1-917-331-9077
Fax: +1-212-679-7016
E-mail: rachel.cohen@newyork.msf.org

http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/
http://www.accessmed-msf.org/