[Ip-health] Bill Richardson on trade and access to medicines

[Mike Palmedo]

http://www.iowaindependent.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=911

AIDS, Domestic Issues Dominate Cedar Rapids Interview with Richardson

The Iowa Independent
Lynda Waddington
Thursday (08/30) at 11:20 AM

By the time presidential candidate Bill Richardson arrived for one of
his patent job interviews at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, the roughly
100 chairs had been filled and overflow spectators stood beside walls
and in the back of the room.

Though some questions were posed at the Tuesday night event about Iraq
and foreign policy, most dealt with domestic issues including the AIDS
crisis, access to medicine and reproductive health.

Des Moines area resident Kaytee Riek started off the the
question-and-answer period by asking about trade agreements and their
impact on low-income nations.

"This question has to do with something that frustrates me to death
about the current administration," she said. "In our trade policy we
actually hurt access to medicines. The World Trade Organization gives
poor countries the right to override patents of pharmaceuticals in
America, but when we sign trade agreements with them, we take that right
away from the country. This ensures the price of medicine is not going
to fall. People with AIDS, heart disease and asthma can't access the
medicines they need because of the trade agreement. Is that something
you are going to change?"

Richardson, the Democratic governor of New Mexico, listed his short
answer as "yes," and jokingly added that he was going to give Riek a
position in his administration.

"You make a lot of sense," he said. "You're right. The regulatory
agencies in this country -- whether it's the FDA or OSHA -- in many
cases this administration has put industry people there. They should be
consumers. They should be people that protect Americans and protect
consumers."

When it comes to pharmaceutical issues such access to vaccinations and
generic drugs, he added, government needs to learn to be bipartisan.

"When it comes to pharmaceutical companies and companies that are
involved in medicinal issues, I would find ways to make them part of our
foreign assistance bill," he said. "Many private foundations are doing a
lot of good work in getting drug companies and pharmaceutical companies
to donate vaccines. I would make that a part of the government policy."

Following the meeting, Riek said she was happy yet concerned about
Richardson's answer to her question.

"I'm a part of a group -- Iowa for AIDS Action," she said. "Yes, I'm
happy with it, although I'm worried that maybe he didn't fully
understand the question I was asking. But he said, 'I agree with
everything you just said.' That's heartening, but I think we need to get
out there and educate more."

The subject of AIDS was directly addressed in at least two more
questions from the audience.

"As a nation we've been unable to bring down the number of new HIV
infections," a woman said. "In fact, President Bush's administration has
failed to achieve a national goal of cutting that number in half and
there is no new research. Will you, as president, make sure the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control budget has the necessary resources?"

Another woman, recently returned from Tanzania, wanted to know how a
Richardson administration would combat the generation of breadwinners in
that nation and across Africa who have died of AIDS.

"I won't agree to every figure, but I do agree with the premise of what
you're saying," Richardson said when responding to the first question.
"We've got to have a more effective strategy of out-reach and education
when it comes to AIDS."

Richardson also pledged to make his vice president the head of the AIDS
commission before explaining that additional measures were needed.

"What we need is tougher strategies than what you mentioned -- besides
outreach, education and funding," he said. "We have to be more
innovative. We have to promote the use of condoms. We've got to have
needle exchanges. We've got to be aggressive in our strategies and
devote more to AIDS research."

While pointing to individuals in African leadership who have created
barriers to AIDS treatments in their nations, Richardson also said U.S.
diplomats play a big role.

"A lot of this is politics, but it is also people," he said. "Who we
appoint to do these things is a big decision. I would have a big focus
in our programs for AIDS prevention, especially in Africa."

John and Royce Feltenberger moved to Iowa from Louisiana just weeks
after Hurricane Katrina hit in August 2005. While the couple is making
their home in this state now and intend to stay here, they still worry
about family and friends in and around New Orleans. They wanted to know
what Richardson would do to correct the continuing problems in the area.

"That national disaster and its aftermath was one of the saddest
chapters in our nation's history," said Richardson. "The
administration's response to Katrina was pathetic. I would put the
Federal Emergency Management Agency directly under the president again
and, of course, hire a competent person to run it. Probably the most
important thing I would do -- because there have been rumors of certain
areas with certain political ties gaining assistance before others
without those ties -- is to make sure no politics are involved."

John Feltenberger said he appreciated the governor's remarks.

"We are here now," he said after the event. "This is our home and we are
happy. But what happened there was wrong and it hasn't been fixed. There
are people still suffering. This issue is personal and important to us,
and I would have liked to have heard him discuss it first."

The subject remains emotional for the couple, who quickly exited the
room after our brief interview.

Richardson returns to Iowa on Monday, Sept. 3. Exact details of that
trip have not yet been made available. Iowans interested in learning
more about Iowa for AIDS Action, should stay tuned for an upcoming
article about the organization or email Riek (kaytee@healthgap.org).

--
Mike Palmedo
Research Coordinator
Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property
American University, Washington College of Law
4910 Massachutsetts Ave., NW Washington, DC 20016
T - 202-274-4442 | F 202-274-0659
mpalmedo@wcl.american.edu