E-drug: Satellite Meeting at the Durban International AIDS Conference
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IMPROVING ACCESS TO HIV/AIDS DRUGS IN DEVELOPING
COUNTRIES
Invitation to a Satellite Meeting to the XIII International Conference in
Durban Co-sponsored by M�decins Sans Fronti�res (MSF) &
Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) 9 July 2000, 9.30am-1.30pm,
Durban City Hall
For the first time, the International AIDS Conference will be held on
the African continent and in a country where a significant proportion
of the population has HIV/AIDS. People with HIV/AIDS in South Africa
- and in all developing countries - are facing a severe crisis of access
to the life-saving medications. The antiretroviral drugs that have
transformed HIV/AIDS from a death sentence to a chronic disease in
developed countries are largely unavailable in developing countries,
priced beyond the means of most people.
UNAIDS, WHO, and a group of pharmaceutical companies recently
announced that they are discussing price reductions for HIV/AIDS
drugs. While this is a positive development, few details or
commitments have been communicated, and many questions remain.
M�decins Sans Fronti�res (MSF) and the Treatment Action Campaign
(TAC) will host a joint satellite conference at the Durban 2000
International AIDS Conference entitled "Improving Access to HIV/AIDS
Drugs in Developing Countries," at which speakers from Africa, Asia,
Europe, USA and elsewhere will examine the next steps in the fight
for access to care for people with HIV/AIDS, addressing issues of drug
pricing, medical needs, legal and political strategies to widen access
to treatment for HIV/AIDS in developing countries. Case studies will
be presented, and the emphasis will be on practical information that
participants can take back to their countries and use to advocate for
increased access to medicines.
M�decins Sans Fronti�res is an international medical organisation
working in more than 80 countries worldwide. In 1999, MSF launched
its Access to Essential Medicines Campaign, which is aimed at
stimulating research and development for neglected diseases,
overcoming barriers to access, and humanizing international trade
agreements.
The Treatment Action Campaign works for access to affordable and
quality treatment for all people with HIV/AIDS in South Africa and
supports the global campaign for access to essential and life-saving
drugs. All the major trade unions federations, religious bodies, the
NGO coalition and children's right organisations support the work of
TAC in South Africa.
AGENDA
9:30 - 9:45 Welcome address
Malegapuru Makgoba, Medical Research Council, South Africa
9:45 - 10:45 Does treatment make a difference in Africa?
* From stigma to disclosure in Durban, Promise Mthembu, TAC, South
Africa
* Mother-to-child transmission in Khayelitsha: how access to
medicines can change life in a South African township, Farid Abdullah,
M.D., Provincial Administration of the Western Cape, South Africa
* Thinking outside the box: how treatment helps control the AIDS
epidemic, Eric Goemaere, M.D., MSF, South Africa
* What I need to save my patients: experiences in a Kenyan hospital,
Christopher Ouma, M.D., MSF, Kenya
Questions and discussion
10:45 - 11:45 Why are drugs so unaffordable?
* Current barriers, future objectives, Daniel Berman, Access to
Essential Medicines Campaign, MSF, Switzerland
* Patents and prices in South Africa, Mark Heywood, AIDS Law
Project, South Africa
* Beyond patents: market failure in Uganda, Peter Mugyenyi, M.D.,
Joint Clinical Research Centre, Uganda
Questions and discussion
11:45 - 12:15 Break
12:15 - 1:15 Towards a solution
* Beyond patents: the need to address government inaction, David
Wilson, M.D., MSF, Thailand
* Generics and government will: a potent combination in Brazil, Pedro
Chequer, M.D., UNAIDS Southern Cone, Argentina
* How activists in developed countries can support those in the
South, Asia Russell, ACT UP Philadelphia, USA
Questions and discussion
1:15 - 1:30 Closing remarks
Edwin Cameron, Constitutional Court, South Africa
REGISTRATION FORM
Please return this form to
Nkanyezi Nkabinde
Conference Coordinator
717 Colonial Building, 330 West Street (off Mark's Lane)
Durban 4001
Phone/fax: (031) 304 3673
E-mail: msf-tac@mweb.co.za or durb2000@tac.org.za
I/We want to register for the M�decins Sans Fronti�res/Treatment
Action Campaign Satellite Conference on "Improving Access to
HIV/AIDS Drugs in Developing Countries".
This satellite meeting is free and open to all interested in working on
access to HIV/AIDS treatment. All information provided below will be
treated confidentially.
Surname: Name:
Title: Organisation/Company:
Mailing Address:
Street/Box: City:
Code:
Country:
Telephone: Cell/Mobile:
Fax: E-mail:
Please indicate if you need childcare facilities: Y/N
Would you like to receive e-mail updates on issues of access to
treatment after the conclusion of the conference? Y / N
This form may be downloaded in a rich text format from www.tac.org
or www.accessmed-msf.org
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