EUROPE/BELGIUM - Making medicines accessible to all poor people and prevent patents from stopping distribution

Brussels (Agenzia Fides) - Making essential medicines accessible to all poor people, especially in Africa by stopping patents from blocking distribution is the theme of an inter-government meeting in Geneva 5-10 November.
EU countries recently agreed to distribute off-patent alternative medicines for export to poor countries unable to produce them locally. Next week the Inter-government Working Group for Public Health, Development and Intellectual Property Rights will meet in Geneva to discuss action plans. This follows a WHO warning in its 2006 report that unless certain steps are taken patents will continue to be requested by laboratories, depriving poor people of live saving drugs.
Recently the European Commission said it would not object if any of its 27 member countries decided to produce alternative drugs at lower prices than patented medicines, usually too expensive for most people living in poor countries.
The agreement was reached by the members of the EU parliament and EU country government representatives and the Commission.
The EU decision was made in December 2005, but MPs refused to approve it until concessions were obtained from the main EU bodies.
The United Nations Organisation said in 2005 that an estimated that in Sub-Saharan countries 25.8 million people were HIV+. And that 90% of people with AIDS in Ethiopia, Ghana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania and Zimbabwe, would not have access to the necessary anti-retroviral treatment. Hence the urgent need to find ways to guarantee distribution of essential medicines in Africa. The present EU paten system in unsatisfactory. (AP) (6/11/2007 Agenzia Fides; Righe:40; Parole:432)