Thousands marched in Cape Town in February in a massive show of support for the demand that the South African government sign and implement a national HIV treatment programme. Estimates on the amount of marchers attending the march organised by AIDS-lobby group the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) and taking place on the occasion of the opening of South Africa's Parliament for 2003 ranged from between 10 000 and 30 000. The material available through the link below includes a report on the march, a letter from TAC activist Zackie Achmat about the march, the memorandum presented to government and a memorandum to President Bush and Members of US Congress dealing with the Doha agreement.
Equity in Health
Unsafe sex still main cause of HIV infection in Africa
New research findings suggesting that unsafe medical practices are the main cause of HIV transmission have been rejected by medical experts in South Africa. They insist that unsafe sex continues to be the main cause of infection. The controversy began when a team of eight researchers from three countries who reviewed data on HIV infection in Africa estimated only about a third of adult cases are sexually transmitted. They said healthcare practices, especially contaminated medical injections, could also be a major cause.
Further details: /newsletter/id/29614
WHO Rejects Charges Of Food Industry Infiltration
The World Health Organisation has rejected allegations in the London Guardian that its policies on diet and nutrition were unduly influenced by the food industry, saying it welcomed open debate with all stakeholders and had strengthened its procedures against covert lobbying. The agency said it welcomed open and transparent debate on the issue from all interested groups as the agency sought to develop a global strategy on diet, physical activity and health.
ACTIVISTS "FRUSTRATED" BY DELAYS IN WTO TALKS
World Trade Organisation (WTO) talks held late last year failed to resolve the issue of access to generic medicines in developing countries after the United States blocked an agreement on granting easier access to the drugs. "Its a tragedy that there is no solution after one year of talks ... millions of people have died from [infectious] diseases this year. The rich countries don't realise how much this has affected poor countries," head of international affairs for treatment lobby group Act-Up Paris, Gaëlle Krikorian, told PlusNews.
Further details: /newsletter/id/29538
AFRICA ACTION DEMANDS DOLLARS TO MATCH ANNOUNCEMENT ON AIDS
Africa Action has welcomed the announcement of new money to fight HIV/AIDS by the Bush administration, but Africa Action Executive Director Salih Booker noted that this money must be made available immediately if it is to save lives and have a real impact on the course of the pandemic in Africa and globally.
Further details: /newsletter/id/29585
Church Supports Call for Cheaper AIDS Drugs
The Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) has appealed for the provision of cheaper antiretroviral drugs for HIV -positive people. In a media statement, issued on Tuesday January 7, 2003, the AIDS Office of the SACBC said it "supports the cause of the National Association of People living with AIDS (NAPWA) in the calling of government and pharmaceutical companies to provide cheaper generic antiretrovirals to all people living with AIDS."
Dr. Jong Wook Lee Narrowly Defeats UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot for WHO Head Position
Dr. Jong Wook Lee, 57, of South Korea, was on Tuesday January 28 chosen by a World Health Organisation executive committee vote of 17-15 to take over the position of WHO director general, BBC News reports. Lee, who will succeed Norway's Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, narrowly defeated Peter Piot, a Belgian epidemiologist who heads UNAIDS.
drug companies say they will increase arv supply
Six companies involved with the UNAIDS- and WHO-sponsored Accelerating Access program have said they would increase the antiretroviral drug supply to Africa, "acknowledg[ing] that current efforts only scratched the surface" of the continent's epidemic, Reuters reports.
EU TRIES TO BREAK WTO MEDICINES DEADLOCK
The EU has launched an initiative to break the current WTO deadlock on developing countries' access to affordable medicines. WTO members failed to meet the end of a 2002 deadline to find a solution for developing countries without manufacturing capacities, namely given the disagreement over the disease coverage. In a letter addressed to all WTO Trade Ministers, EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy proposes a multilateral solution which is workable, sustainable and legally secure, based both on the Doha mandate and on the chair's compromise text of 16 December 2002.
JOINT EFFORT CAN TURN PANDEMIC AROUND - LEWIS
The HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa could be turned around, despite the devastating toll on human lives, UN Secretary General's Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa Stephen Lewis, says. Lewis noted that defeating the disease would require a combination of political will and resources.
Further details: /newsletter/id/29540