Thailand has recently appointed a new Minister of Public Health, Chaiya Sasomsup who has said he might review the previous government’s decision to issue Compulsory Licences.
Compulsory Licensing is an important and effective legislative measure which helps improve access to treatment by allowing the production or importation of affordable generic versions of key medicines. The [...]

Over 200 social activists and experts have met in Bangkok to discuss compulsory licensing, innovation and access to medicines for all. These Public health and HIV/AIDS activists from the developing world are trying to break the monopoly over drugs held by pharmaceutical giants.
The campaign seeks “a new way out of the current patent system; one [...]

Brazil has saved over $1 billion by bargaining with pharmaceuticals to bring down prices of AIDS drugs and using generics.
More than 180,000 Brazilians have access to ARVs.
Brazil’s achievement is described as “remarkable”, in the study published by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health in the US.

Infection rates have been [...]

I thought it might be interesting to post the latest UN figures and what the latest large review are saying about AIDS. So I have tried to summarise the report and have given some of my thoughts relating to these new global AIDS epidemic statistics.
It seems that the number of people infected with HIV has [...]

In an exciting step towards Universal Access to AIDS treatment, the Thai Food and Drug Administration has recently approved the registration of the generic version of heat stable Kaletra produced by the Indian pharmaceutical company Matrix Laboratories. Thanks to the bold decision making of the Thai government and tireless campaigning by AIDS activists, this [...]

Whilst we campaign for universal AIDS treatment, it is important to remember that it is not just those overseas who are unable to access or afford ARV medications. Although our government has agreed to support and fund global treatment for all, it does not fulfil this pledge in its own country. There are many living [...]

The following article is from the BBC, a real boost for the campaign and access to medicine, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. If more of these factories keep popping up, the easier and cheaper anti-retro virals are going to be. Go on have a read….
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7033162.stm

Outrage as UK contribution to Global Fund just half what promised!
Douglas Alexander yesterday announced that the UK would be pledging only half the amount of money required by, and promised to, the Global Fund to Fight Aids, TB and Malaria. The UK’s contribution announced at the Labour Party Conference will be £1billion over the next [...]

The European Union’s top trade official Peter Mandelson has called on Thailand to revise its efforts to provide affordable medicines to people living with HIV and AIDS.
In a letter to the Thai Minister of Commerce, Mandelson expressed concern that Bangkok “may be taking a new approach to access to medicines” and that the approach being [...]

Sign this e-action to Gordon Brown and let him know the world is still watching!
The Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and malaria (the Fund) was established in 2002 as an international funding mechanism combining the resources of some of the richest countries in the world to fight the spread of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria; [...]