E-DRUG: Malaysian PM about access to drugs
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An excerpt from an excellent speech from the Malaysian Prime Minister.
This is the first time a developing country leader has made such a strong
statement about drug access.
Regards,
Eric Goemaere
MSF International
South Africa
Email: goemaere@mweb.co.za
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Kuala Lumpur Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir,
The following is from the transcript distributed in the press room
the next day:
"Access to care and treatment -- The high cost of HIV drugs means that most
people in developing countries just cannot afford them. But this high
cost need not be so if developing countries can get together and challenge
the pharmaceutical companies to reduce the prices or allow compulsory
licensing of lifesaving drugs. Compulsory licensing is allowed under the WTO
but it is sad to see certain powerful countries aligning themselves with
giant pharmaceutical companies to deny developing countries the right to
produce cheaper drugs to save the lives of their people. Profit is taking
precedent over peoples' lives. Access to care means not just access to the
most sophisticated antiretroviral drugs but also to drugs to treat
opportunistic infections. This is possible for many counries. Even if they
can't afford the protease inhiitors.
"We accept that pharmaceutical companies expend a lot of money on
research and need to recoup in order to continue their research. But they
should not try to recoup from the sufferings of the poor. The governments of
the rich should bear most of the cost of such research. We understand that
some countries are never as prosperous as they are now. Surely they can
spare some of their wealth to reduce the burden of the poor people in poor
countries."
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