E-drug: Press release on South African court case
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Dear all,
Please find below a joint press statement from the Treatment Action
Campaign, the Congress of South African Trade Unions, M�decins Sans
Fronti�res, Oxfam, and the Consumer Project on Technology.
Best,
Toby Kasper
MSF-SA
Toby Kasper <tobyk@mweb.co.za>
PRESS RELEASE
ISSUED BY: COSATU, TAC, MSF, OXFAM AND CONSUMER PROJECT ON TECHNOLOGY
HIGH COURT ACCEPTS THE RIGHT OF PEOPLE WITH HIV TO BE HEARD
National and international organizations welcome the judge's decision.
PRETORIA, South Africa, 6 March 2001- National and international
organizations today welcomed the South African High Court's decision to
accept evidence from the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), which represents
people living with HIV.
Having been accepted as a 'Friend of the Court', TAC will give evidence
about how brand name medicines are unaffordable for millions of people
living with HIV in South Africa.
"For the first time, the pharmaceutical industry will have to justify to
South Africa and to the world why their drug prices are so high and why
their patents should be so aggressively protected, when millions of people
are dying and cheaper drugs exist," said Zackie Achmat, chairperson of the
Treatment Action Campaign.
This follows a week of worldwide demonstrations in support of the South
African government, and calling on companies to drop the case. Thousands of
people from unions, churches, NGOs and people living with HIV/AIDS took to
the streets in Pretoria, Cape Town, and Durban. "We thank the efforts of
our members whose voices have ensured that the courts have understood the
importance of this matter," said Joyce Phekane, Deputy President of COSATU.
International and national organizations however condemned the
pharmaceutical industry for first trying to block TAC's application, and for
then requesting a further four months to reply to the application.
"The pharmaceutical companies have already delayed this case for three
years. Every day's delay means no affordable medicines and more people
dying," said Dr Eric Goemaere, Head of Mission for MSF's programs in South
Africa.
The judge acknowledged that this case was of vital importance to people in
South Africa and around the world and only granted industry three weeks to
respond to TAC's application. The court case will resume from 18 to 26
April, 2001.
TAC, COSATU, M�decins Sans Fronti�res (MSF), Oxfam, and the Consumer
Project on Technology underlined they would continue to support the
South African government's position in this case.
For further information please call: TAC - Zackie Achmat: +27 83 467 11 52;
COSATU - Siphiwe Ngcina +27 82 821 7456; MSF - Toby Kasper +27 82 332 9713;
Oxfam - Matt Grainger +27 82 445 3005; Consumer Project on Technology -
Jamie Love +1 202 361 3040.
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