E-DRUG: New WHO DG invites Brazilian AIDS expert to his team
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[The WHO Assembly this week confirmed Dr Lee from Korea as the successor of
Dr Brundtland. Dr Lee has a TB background, and announced putting 3 million
people on ART by 2005 as one of his 5 priorities. In a bold step, he asked
the Brazilian AIDS expert Dr texeira to join his transition team.
If WHO would promote the Brazilian AIDS model (free ARVs) to other
developing countries, this would be a boost for this latest group of
essential drugs. Copied as fair use. WB]
http://www.e-topics.com/index.asp?layout=topic_story&UserID=2002090412193614
5733&topic=378795&display=&doc_id=a0520239.5iw
May 21, 2003
WHO to adopt Brazilian model to fight AIDS/HIV
[Financial Times Limited, All Rights Reserved]
BBC Monitoring International Reports via NewsEdge Corporation : Estado
Geneva, 19 May: Brazil's policy for combating AIDS will become the
foundation for the new policy of the World Health Organization (WHO), to
be adopted for the next five years.
Today Jong Wook Lee, director-elect of the WHO, who will take office in
the second half of the year, has asked [Brazilian] Health Minister
Humberto Costa that the head of the administration's AIDS programme, Paulo
Teixeira, be released to formulate the new policy for combating AIDS
throughout the world, based on Brazil's experience.
The invitation surprised the Brazilian delegation, which is in Geneva for
the World Health Assembly. Teixeira will be released to work on the WHO
transition team. "This is one of the highest recognitions of Brazil's work
in this area", Costa said.
The new WHO director, who is from Korea, will assume the post, replacing
Norway's Gro Harlem Brundtland, who was accused by many developing
countries of giving preference to the wishes of the richest nations, who
are keen to maintain their monopoly over the sale of medications for the
treatment of AIDS.
There has been criticism that the organization has stuck to the line of
some developed countries - that poorer governments do not have the means
to treat their sick, and therefore, they should focus their energy and
resources on prevention.
Release: "The WHO has been little involved with treatment over the past 10
years and Brazil has proven that you do not have to be a developed country
to have an effective treatment programme," said Teixeira. He believes Lee
is signalling that he will push for a revolution in this regard.
In Teixeira's opinion, applying the Brazilian programme throughout the
world will not be an impossible task. "Brazil's experience has shown that
even in poor regions there is a way to make treatment viable," said the
expert, who will begin to work at the WHO this week.
Free treatment: What impressed Lee was that Brazil - despite being a
developing country - has adopted, since the early days of the Fernando
Henrique Cardoso administration, a policy which guarantees free access to
treatment for all patients infected with the AIDS virus. The country has
also managed to prevent the disease from spreading, which has obligated
the WHO to lower its projections on the number of AIDS victims in Brazil.
Teixeira stresses that the WHO will not be the first to adopt the
Brazilian programme. In [the last] three years, 31 developing countries
have adopted Brazil's guidelines and both the Kenyan and South African
governments are working with medicines donated by Brazil.
Patents: International acceptance of the Brazilian experience comes at a
crucial time for negotiations on access to AIDS treatments. In September,
trade ministers from around the world will meet in Cancun, Mexico to try
to reach an agreement on patents.
Source: Agencia Estado news agency, Sao Paulo, in Portuguese 1953 gmt 19
May 03
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