United Nations Wire Alert

Thursday, May 11, 2000

HIV/AIDS II: Clinton Orders Cheap Drug Access For Africa

US President Bill Clinton issued an executive order yesterday to make AIDS drugs available far more cheaply throughout Africa.

The order says the US government will not interfere with countries in the region that may violate US patent laws in order to provide AIDS drugs at lower prices.

The executive order is nearly identical to an amendment that was deleted at the request of pharmaceutical companies from an African trade bill that Congress is considering this week.

The African countries will have to work within World Trade Organization rules governing intellectual property rights. Under WTO rules, certain health circumstances allow countries to order that certain drugs be licensed for local use or imported from third countries.

US Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky said the order "strikes the proper balance between the need of African countries to respond to the HIV/AIDS crisis through availability of effective drugs at affordable prices and ensure that basic individual property rights are protected".

The World Health Organization's David Nabarro said the agency is "overjoyed" about the decision. "We've been calling for reductions in the cost of these drugs so that it is going to be possible to build up health care for people with HIV and AIDS throughout the world," he said. "The mood has shifted, it is much less confrontational now as we move together to get solutions to these huge global health problems like HIV/AIDS".

However, Clinton's order could be overturned after he leaves office in January.