[Ip-health] GAA press release: AIDS Experts Oppose CAFTA Agreement - Treaty Will Block Access to Affordable Medicine

[Mike Palmedo]

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050721/dcth023.html?.v=19


AIDS Experts Oppose CAFTA Agreement - Treaty Will Block Access to
Affordable Medicine

Global AIDS Alliance Press Release
Thursday July 21, 10:25 am ET

WASHINGTON, July 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Republican House leaders have
tentatively scheduled a vote on the DR-CAFTA free trade agreement for
Wednesday, July 27.

Today at 1pm ET Global AIDS Alliance will co-sponsor a press conference
by telephone to explain why many health advocates are opposing the treaty.

Dr. Paul Zeitz, Executive Director of the Global AIDS Alliance, stated:

"Why would Members of Congress vote for a treaty that will hurt the
fight against the worst epidemic the world has ever seen? It's hard to
fathom.

How can members like Rep. Greg Meeks (D-NY), Harold Ford (D-TN) and Rep.
Vic Snyder (D-AR), who support the fight against AIDS, even consider
backing this treaty?

This treaty gives special benefits to the brand-name pharmaceutical
industry. It blocks competition from generic manufacturers. The result
is that only the wealthy in these countries will be able to buy many
critical medicines.

Honduras and the Dominican Republic have an HIV prevalence three times
what we have in the US. The last thing these countries need is to have
their hands tied as they tackle this problem.

Many patients find they can no longer use the typical, initial course of
treatment, and they must take so-called 'second-line' drugs. But, these
medications are extremely expensive. These prices will stay high and go
even higher if trade treaties like DR-CAFTA discourage or even prevent
the production of generic versions.

The President's own AIDS program will eventually be hamstrung by this
and other US-backed treaties, because it will need to purchase
second-line drugs in large quantities.

The claim that this issue has been resolved by a 'side letter'
protecting access to drugs is simply not true. The White House ignored
instructions from Congress to protect access to medicine in this treaty.
Then, when people objected, it issued a letter promising the treaty
would not limit access. But this letter is non-binding and carries no
real legal weight.

This is not about maintaining an incentive for research, since the
Central American market is small. This is about brand-name
manufacturers' putting profit above public health and their hope that
this treaty will set a precedent for all other trade agreements."
Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s),
click appropriate link.
Dr. Paul S. Zeitz
http://profnet.prnewswire.com/ud_public.jsp?userid=485659