- Pharma's Genocide
- Posted by GMCarter
http://www.guardian.co.uk/medicine/s...946998,00.html
Rich countries 'blocking cheap drugs for developing world'
· US and EU have broken Doha pledges, says Oxfam
· Stop Aids claims 75% of HIV patients not treated
Sarah Boseley, health editor
Tuesday November 14, 2006
The Guardian
Poor people are needlessly dying because drug companies and the
governments of rich countries are blocking the developing world from
obtaining affordable medicines, a report says today.
Five years to the day after the Doha declaration - a groundbreaking
deal to give poor countries access to cheap drugs - was signed at the
World Trade Organisation, Oxfam says things are worse.
The charity accuses the US, which champions the interests of its giant
pharmaceutical companies, of bullying developing countries into not
using the measures in the Doha declaration and the EU of standing by
and doing nothing. Doha technically allows poor countries to buy cheap
copies of desperately needed drugs but the US is accused of trying to
prevent countries such as Thailand and India, which have manufacturing
capacity, making and selling cheap generic versions so as to preserve
the monopolies of the drug giants.
"Rich countries have broken the spirit of the Doha declaration," said
Celine Charveriat, head of Oxfam's Make Trade Fair campaign. "The
declaration said the right things but needed political action to work
and that hasn't happened. In fact, we've actually gone backwards. Many
people are dying or suffering needlessly."
The Indian generics firms make most of the cheap drug cocktails that
are now being rolled out to people with HIV in Africa and are keeping
more than a million people alive. They brought the price of a basic
three-drug cocktail down from $10,000 (£5,250) a year to less than
$150 (£79). But new Aids drugs will soon be needed because the virus
will become resistant to the basic ones now in use - as has happened
in the EU and the US.
Those newer Aids drugs, together with drugs for cancer and diabetes,
are under patent. The Oxfam report points out that 4 million people
were newly infected with HIV in 2005 and cancer and diabetes are
expanding faster in developing countries than in the richer world.
The report says that, since the signing of the Doha declaration on
November 14 2001, "rich countries have failed to honour their
promises. Their record ranges from apathy and inaction to dogged
determination to undermine the declaration's spirit and intent. The
US, at the behest of the pharmaceutical industry, is uniqely guilty of
seeking ever higher levels of intellectual property protection in
developing countries."
The US has pursued its own free trade agreements with developing
countries, tying them into much tighter observance of patent rights
than anticipated at Doha. "The USA has also pressured countries for
greater patent protection through threats of trade sanctions," the
report says.
The drugs firms are also fighting to have patents observed. Pfizer is
challenging the Philippines government in a bid to extend its monopoly
on Norvasc, a drug pressure drug. Novartis is engaged in litigation in
India to enforce a patent for Glivec, a cancer drug, which could save
many lives if it were available at generic prices.
The Stop Aids campaign, a coalition of 90 NGOs of which Oxfam is a
member, is calling for the government to champion the issue at the G8
summit next year. Three-quarters of HIV drugs are still under monopoly
and unaffordable in poor countries, it said. More than 75% of those
who need HIV treatment urgently are still not getting it. Only 8% of
children with HIV are on drugs, which cost four times more than those
for adults.
"Sadly, promising words have not translated into life-saving
treatments and five years is too long to wait when the stakes are so
high," said Steve Cockburn, campaign coordinator.
Case study
Premavati, a 60-year-old widow living in Delhi who is suffering from
non-Hodgkins lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system, has spent
around $900 (£470) on medicines. "My husband died two years ago," says
Premavati. "We have absolutely no savings. Of my two sons one is a
casual labourer, the other has no job. My daughter is 30, has two
children and is also a widow." She is one of 1.42 billion people in
India who cannot afford the drugs they need to save their lives. Their
country is the leading producer of inexpensive generic drugs but about
67% of the output is exported, and it is under pressure to stop
copying new patented drugs. The future looks bleak for Premavati. "How
will I raise the money for my treatment?" she says, "Already, I've
spent what we had. If nobody helps I will just go back to my daughter
and will have to die without medicines."
- Posted by Life
"GMCarter" <fiar@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:qcmml2tlts7k0oo1lfjt3a6e9k2rgbcegp@4ax.com...
Poor people in "rich countries" are also unable to obtain affordable
medicines - and they, too, are dying.
George Mary, don't you think your time would be better spent
helping to fix this problem at home first?
Aside from your frequent megalomaniacal rants and your bad vocal
outbursts of "we are the world", there's little to do about those
"third world" countries that promote overpopulation of stupid superstitious
mud people - let the forces of nature run their course.
- Posted by GMCarter
On Sun, 19 Nov 2006 15:45:04 -0500, "Life" <Life@life.com> wrote:
Quite true.
Fred Shaw, it is not an either/or situation. The fight for access to
healthcare as a right is a global effort.
George M. Carter
- Posted by Life
"GMCarter" <fiar@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:9im1m2dmm4024d8ur0jlj84pphlt4bfgq9@4ax.com...
George Mary - your attempt to define me as some strawman only
illustrates the desperation of the paranoia arising from your years
of shooting heroin - not to mention the bankruptcy of your argument.
Laughable, as always.
- Posted by GMCarter
On Sun, 19 Nov 2006 23:08:46 -0500, "Life" <Life@life.com> wrote:
But you are, Frod Show.
- Posted by Life
"GMCarter" <fiar@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:k103m2prco8mnmldck5103hhron50gn81d@4ax.com...
Sorry to disappoint, but I have found many references to FShaw
in the Google groups search engine.
And it would seem that FShaw and David Pasquarelli were
among the members of ACT UP San Francisco who frequently
blew the whistle on your HIV treatment scams... while
Pasquarelli succumbed to the HIV drugs, it would seem that
your fear of FShaw being "out there" is very real indeed.
- Posted by Death
"Life" <Life@life.com> wrote in message
I believe Carter looks under the bed every night to make sure
Fred isn't there.
That guy has really shaken Carters world and left him a shambles.
I wonder just how many ghost are in his closet.
- Posted by GMCarter
On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 15:32:12 -0500, "Life" <Life@life.com> wrote:
Oh, please. Who in the WORLD do you think you're kidding?
So if you're not him (right), who are you?
Or are you another coward like "death"?
- Posted by Death
"GMCarter" <fiar@verizon.net> wrote in message
Why do you need to know that?
Why does that haunt you so?
What difference would it make?
How would the out-come change?
Would that alter what you say or the way you say it?
Knowing my name would effect the topic how?
There is not going to be any-thing personal between us
so you can call me Death or not at all. Either way suits
the shit right out of me.
If you prefer I can call you Sally or Mary.
I have no doubt that your opinions will still be your opinions.
- Posted by GMCarter
On Tue, 21 Nov 2006 11:15:12 -0600, " Death" <Death@yourdoor.net>
wrote:
A question of a coward, no less.
When it comes to the type of personal attacks and libelous statements,
you'd think he'd have the guts to stand up and say who he is.
Neither of you do.
No surprise.
- Posted by Death
"GMCarter" <fiar@verizon.net>
" Death" <Death@yourdoor.net> wrote in message
- Posted by GMCarter
On Tue, 21 Nov 2006 20:40:49 -0600, " Death" <Death@yourdoor.net>
wrote:
That's irrelevant.
The fact is that you are a coward who spews his racist and anti-gay
venom from behind his little keyboard.
- Posted by Death
"GMCarter" <fiar@verizon.net> wrote in message
- Posted by GMCarter
On Wed, 22 Nov 2006 11:13:31 -0600, " Death" <Death@yourdoor.net>
wrote:
Yes, this is exactly the point.
The fact is that you are a coward who spews his racist and anti-gay
venom from behind his little keyboard.
- Posted by Death
"GMCarter" <fiar@verizon.net>
As you said, you have made up several silly names for your-self.
I have no idea if your name is really Carter or not.
Your useless rant is for naught, Dr Me, Mary or Fred Shaw.
- Posted by GMCarter
On Wed, 22 Nov 2006 12:47:18 -0600, " Death" <Death@yourdoor.net>
wrote:
LOL. What a complete load of disingenuous crap.
- Posted by Death
"GMCarter" <fiar@verizon.net> wrote in message
You admit to making up several silly names
- Posted by Life
" Death" <Death@yourdoor.net> wrote in message
news:5%F9h.5717$Q7.2009@bignews6.bellsouth.net...
I'm afraid "Carter" is the name he makes up for his silly little keyboard...
but I DO have his mother's address outside of Pittsburgh...
- Posted by Death
"Life" <Life@life.com> wrote in message
He should have named his keyboard, Pussy.
That way he could run his fingers across Pussy.
He could pound Pussy.
Home of Brotherly Love?
- Posted by Life
" Death" <Death@yourdoor.net> wrote in message
news:SPKah.11287$k6.4422@bignews8.bellsouth.net...
No, that's Philadelphia ... but most interesting is how Carter failed
to respond to this small detail.
