Stop AIDS holds the government to account
March 26th, 2007This post was written by Diarmaid. You can read more posts by: Diarmaid or more posts in Events
Stop AIDS Day of Action
Following the Stop AIDS Day of Action on 20th March we have now been informed that Hilary Benn will raise the issue of Abbott’s actions in Thailand at the G8 Development Ministers’ Meeting on 26th and 27th of this month. This is a major success, and demonstrates how powerful campaigning can be! Prior to our lobbying meeting last Tuesday Hilary Benn had not been fully briefed on the developments in Thailand. By putting this issue on the agenda and repeating our calls over and over, Benn has now agreed to take this issue on. Well done to everyone who took part in the lobby. It was a fantastic success!…
Over 75 Student Stop AIDS Campaigners took part in a mass lobby of parliament yesterday. Students came from 18 Stop AIDS Societies throughout the UK from Edinburgh to Belfast, Brighton to Sheffield. Our aim was to put pressure on Hilary Benn, the Secretary of State for International Development before the G8 Development Ministers’ Meeting in Berlin on March 26th and 27th. After an hour’s meeting with Benn he was left in no doubt as to the strength of student support for the campaign. During the question and answer session students grilled Hilary Benn on how the G8 would deliver on their promise of Universal Access to Treatment by 2010. Will Horwitz of Cambridge Student Stop AIDS Society asked Mr Benn if he would demonstrate his support for the TRIPS flexibilities by condemning the actions of Abbott Laboratories in withdrawing the registration of Kaletra and 6 other new drugs from Thailand. Benn’s answers (or lack of) didn’t quite satisfy us, so we continued to press the issue. As Benn made a head for the door Mori, a medical student from Edinburgh University and Katy the Stop AIDS Societies coordinator ran after him. As Benn posed for a press photo Mori and Katy continued to press him on the Thailand issue. Student Stop AIDS Campaigners feel confident that we made a big impression on Mr Benn and that this will translate into concrete actions by the G8 leaders at this year’s summit.
Following the meeting with Hilary Benn student campaigners went en mass to the Houses of Parliament to meet with their MPs. We presented MPs with a call to action asking them to take steps to ensure that the UK government does all it can to ensure that AIDS is prioritised at this year’s G8 and that the promise of Universal Access to Treatment by 2010 is realised. Greg Mullholland MP for Leeds said, after meeting with the Leeds Student Stop AIDS Society, that ‘nothing is more powerful than lobbying in person’.
Students had to wait for 2 hours in the cold outside parliament, but the extreme cold weather and unexpected snow storm just served to strengthen the will of campaigners to get their message heard. The day ended with a photo stunt near St James’ Park. The day was a huge success, but as Tom Ankcorn of Sheffield Stop AIDS concluded, ‘Our fight for treatment access to vulnerable and under priviledged people continues!’
Link to the Stop AIDS Campaign site and more photos
Photos by Paul Alexander Knox www.om-shantiphotography.co.uk
March 27th, 2007 at 12:58 am
Brilliant news! And well done Mori and Katy for daring to pester Hilary Benn even more even though he looks pretty ‘ASBO’ in that picture on the top right
The fight obviously goes on and as all our societies gather strength i think we’ll be surprised at how much of a difference we might make. Lobbying the government does seem the right way to go though, since the UK is such a huge power on the world stage and the pharmaceuticals wont really listen to us as much.
How many MPs have you all heard back from and do we know how many MPs agreed to ask open questions/write to tony blair etc…?
Rafi.
March 27th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
Just heard that the French Development Philippe Douste-Blazy, has come out publicly in support of Thailand. For all those who can read French visit the site below to read his comments: http://www.unitaid.eu/Recours-aux-licences-obligatoires.html
March 28th, 2007 at 9:30 pm
David Drew, MP for Stroud seemed to be listening. After the lobby on 20th he asked a parliamentary question on whether the government would use the G8 Development Ministers meeting to seek a reduction in the price of the essential medicines for AIDS treatment at the forthcoming G8 Development Ministers meeting; and if he will raise the issue of patent barriers at the meeting. Good question. Not such a great response. Click on the link below to see what Gareth Thomas said in reply:
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2007-03-26a.129633.h&s=hiv#g129633.r0