Great, comrade! Terrific mid-Atlantic protests coming up on Monday. Folks in the struggle here in South Africa are going to Pretoria that day, but then will anxiously tune in to hear how much trouble you caused in Washington and Philly:
From: Julie Davids <jdavids at CritPath.Org> please forward to activists and people with HIV living in, around or between Philly and Washington, DC!
Please join us at one or both of these historic events. For more information on events worldwide, see:
GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION ON THE AIDS CRISIS: Affordable AIDS Drug for All!
MONDAY, MARCH 5
The events below are in response to the call to action and solidarity from AIDS activists in South Africa against multinational pharmaceutical companies.
Groups around the world are responding to the call by organizing a Day of Action targeting drug company profiteering on March 5, 2001.
On this day, the court action by more than 40 multinational drug companies against the South African government will be heard in the Pretoria High Court. The drug companies are suing the South African government in order to block affordable, generic AIDS drugs and importation of less expensive drugs from other nations.
Called by the Treatment Action Campaign of South Africa, folks of all backgrounds will rally in defense of South Africa's attempt to bring drugs to its poorest citizens and Brazil's famously successful AIDS program.
Both now stand threatened by the big drug monopolies and US trade actions. This time, it truly is a matter of people before profits, and above all, human life.
On March 5, we will say NO to murder by patent, to death by profit!
We will say YES to hope and to affordable medicines!
*** PHILADELPHIA ***
RALLY: MARCH 5, 8:30 am - 9:30 am Glaxo SmithKline Headquarters, 16th and Vine Streets
Free buses leave Philadelphia from 16th and Vine at 9:30 sharp to travel to Washington, DC
TO RESERVE BUS SEATS TO DC, contact jdavids at critpath.org, 215-985-4448 x 165
*** WASHINGTON, DC ***
MARCH & RALLY: MARCH 5, 1:30 pm
PROTEST U.S. TRADE POLICIES AND COMPANIES BLOCKING ACCESS TO MEDICINE
Meet at Freedom Plaza at 14th and E NW. March to Bristol Myers Squibb offices and Bush Administration location
For more information: katie at critpath.org, 215-731-1844
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"It is the darkest side of capitalism... people are dying because they will not reduce their prices." -- Jesuit Father Angelo d'Agostino, AIDS orphanage director in Kenya
"We wonder what sacrifices are going to be made at the altar of profit... Which is more deadly to Africa? Is it HIV, or is it the businessmen who have briefcases of patent applications?" -- Chris Ouma, Nairobi physician, Action Aid Kenya
"At Nyumbani [Kenyan orphanage], nobody has been buried since the drugs cocktail programme got into full swing last August. One of the last to die was a nine-year-old called Samson. Twelve of Samson's friends in Nyumbani have since been saved. But time and money is running out. And if the drug companies keep the generics out of Kenya, the neat little graveyard will soon be filling up again." -- The Independent, 22 February 2001
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To download outreach flyers or get more information on the campaign go to: http://www.globaltreatmentaccess.org/nyc.html Global Treatment Access Campaign/ (GTAC) NEW YORK Phone: 212-674-9598 E-mail: GTACny at hotmail.com
**** DETAILED SUMMARY ****
** In South Africa, subsidiaries of US and European mega-drug companies have taken the South African government to court over its commitment to purchase cheaper generic and/or brand name medicines for millions living with HIV/AIDS. Originally filed in 1998 and supported by Clinton-Gore threats of trade sanctions until late 1999, the law suit is scheduled for trial in Pretoria March 5-12.
** In late 2000, the world largest and most profitable pharmaceutical company threatened a lawsuit against an Indian generic manufacturer, CIPLA, which was supplying cheaper medicines in Ghana. On Feb. 8 this year, pharmaceutical representatives said they would protect their patent rights against CIPLA's new plan to sell generic AIDS anti-virals to poor governments at a huge discount.
** This February, the U.S. lodged a complaint against Brazil at the World Trade Organization over its production of generic AIDS drugs. In what the New York Times calls a model solution to the AIDS crisis, Brazil has provided free AIDS drugs to over 60,000 citizens, and cut its death toll by over half since 1996. Now Brazil's program is endangered by the strong-armed tactics of big Pharma acting through their proxy, the US government.
The AIDS epidemic is the modern plague, and its impact will lay waste to the continent of Africa, wiping out a whole generation of working men and women, and leaving millions of orphans. However, this pandemic is treatable. The same medicines that have kept tens of thousands alive in this country, is out of reach for the world's poor, now making up over 95% of total AIDS cases.
Because of their monopoly patents, drug companies make mega-profits selling AIDS medicines at huge mark-ups - as much as 4500%. For example, the Indian manufacturer CIPLA has just offered anti-viral triple therapy costing $10,000 per year in the U.S. for $600 to poor African countries and for $350 to Medecins Sans Frontier.
The pharmaceutical giants, however, are working hard to keep their monopoly grip on the market by preventing generic competitors and desperate countries from providing cheaper alternatives. Sometimes, the industry acts directly on its own behalf by filing lawsuits and/or threatening court action.
Other times, it works behind the scene at the White House, in the Congress, with the U.S. Trade Representative, or at international agencies including the World Bank, the World Trade Organization, the World Health Organization, and UNAIDS. Activists around the world are protesting drug profiteering and death by monopoly pricing.
Even in our rich country, seniors fight back at price gouging by taking buses to Canada where drug prices are far cheaper. Joining them is a growing chorus of journalists, economists, students, religious figures, care givers, international charities, and nobel prize winning doctors, who cannot deny the simple truth - people are dying of AIDS because of corporate greed.
On March 5, a global day of action, timed to coincide with the South African court case and in support of the Brazilian AIDS program, will be held marking a new stage in the growing international solidarity movement. Called by the Treatment Action Campaign in South Africa, solidarity demonstrations and rallies will be held around the world. In the US, we have a special responsibility to fight the pharmaceutical companies on their home ground, and reaffirm our moral commitment to human values. In this case, it truly is a matter of people before profits.
Drop the Pharma lawsuit against affordable medicines in South Africa.
Drop threats against CIPLA's low-price AIDS medicines offer.
Drop the U.S. WTO action against the model Brazilian AIDS program.
Fund access to medicines now.
Stop the genocide by corporate greed.
###### Julie Davids ###### ###### ACT UP Philadelphia ###### ###### jdavids at critpath.org ######
"We wonder what sacrifices are going to be made at the altar of profit... Which is more deadly to Africa? Is it HIV, or is it the businessmen who have briefcases of patent applications?"
-- Chris Ouma, Nairobi physician, Action Aid Kenya
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