CONTACT: Asia Russell, 215.731.1844
page: 215.838.2355

A coalition of AIDS activist organizations that has dogged Vice President Al Gore on his campaign trail for months reacted hopefully to the announcement from the US Trade Representative's Office that the U.S. and South Africa had reached an agreement today, potentially settling a trade dispute over access to medicines. Vice President Al Gore, as the Chair of the U.S. / South Africa Bi-national Commission, and US Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky have threatened sanctions against South Africa due to the nation's efforts to produce generic versions of drugs to fight AIDS and other life-threatening illnesses (called compulsory licensing), and to shop around the globe for the best price, a practice called parallel importing.

"If this agreement truly puts an end to the U.S. Administration's immoral pressure campaign against South Africa, then it's a victory for millions of South African citizens," said ACT UP New York's Mark Milano. "Now, the Clinton/Gore Administration must extend this policy to all nations in need of affordable medicines for people with AIDS and other serious illnesses," continued Milano.

"The United States must encourage, rather than prevent, access to affordable medicines for all poor nations," said Asia Russell of ACT UP Philadelphia. "The U.S. must send a clear message that it will never again use these bullying tactics to prevent worldwide access to medicines."

"If the U.S. position has in fact changed, it is largely due to the courageous activities of AIDS activists who forced the issue on to the public agenda," said Robert Weissman, co-director of the corporate accountability group Essential Information.

A number of organizations, including ACT UP, AIDS Drugs for Africa, the Health GAP Coalition and others, have pressed Vice President Gore to end his efforts to force S.A. to drop its "Medicines Act." The Act would use compulsory licensing and parallel importing to drastically lower the cost of medicines to fight AIDS and other illnesses. Both practices are legal and common under international trade agreements.

Protestors have followed Gore around the country, carrying "Gore's Greed Kills" posters and accusing the Vice President of siding with the pharmaceutical industry in the battle to guard its patent rights at the expense of human lives. In Philadelphia, 700 demonstrators showed up at a campaign fundraiser and declared Gore's current policy to be one of "Medical Apartheid."

"This is an important first step," said Eric Sawyer of Health GAP. "But more needs to be done. Under the Bayh-Dole laws, the U.S. Government holds the patents or licensure rights for numerous medications developed at taxpayer expense, said Sawyer. " Gore must work to implement these already existing laws and turn over medicines to an international body such as the World Health Organization. The WHO could make these drugs available to poor countries at or below manufacturing expense. This must be done quickly, to prevent the millions of deaths that will occur in the next few years from AIDS and other diseases."

"The U.S. Government has failed to implement the Bayh Dole laws because drug companies don't want us to know that the expensive drugs we buy only cost pennies to produce," stated Susan Whitaker of AIDS Drugs for Africa. "Drug companies claim that their exorbitant profits are necessary to cover research and development, even though actual drug development costs are heavily subsidized by U.S. taxpayers."

The protestors stated that disruptions and demonstrations will not end until the Administration transforms trade policy to support access to essential medications, rather than the whims of pharmaceutical companies placing profit before human lives.

"Saving lives in Thailand, Brazil and India is just as vital as saving lives in South Africa," explained John Bell of ACT UP Philadelphia. "The United States must cease its harassment of countries taking legal measures to provide essential medications for their populations, and implement our own laws that could pave the way for drug access."

-30-

Back to Top