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News/Event Item
Africa: ARVs Still Scarce Years After WTO Declaration
Nov 16, 2006
by UN Integrated Regional Information Networks
Most HIV-positive people in Africa still lack access to antiretroviral (ARV) medication half a decade after a historic declaration that allowed poor nations to copy expensive branded drugs.
Five years ago, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) met in Doha, capital of Qatar, and unanimously agreed to ensure that Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), or copyright, would no longer prevent developing countries from providing anti-AIDS medication in their health systems.
Although the decision allowed poorer countries greater flexibility in being able to tackle pandemics such as HIV/AIDS with first-line drug regimens, according to international medical relief group Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), second-line medications were still patented and much too costly.
Copyright 2006 UN Integrated Regional Information Networks
For the Full Article, visit
http://allafrica.com/stories/200611160724.html
category: News from Other Sources : AIDS News
contributed by Olga Zhuykova on 16 November 2006
Africa :
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