The Hindu : New Delhi News : Health advocates protest against Patents Bill

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 23, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

Health advocates protest against Patents Bill

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, MARCH 22 . Health advocates from across the world gathered in the Capital today to raise their voice against India's Patents (Amendment) Bill and caution political parties not to betray people struggling with AIDS and other life threatening diseases.

The group also said that India could comply with World Trade Organisation rules without selling out to foreign industry.

Gathered in the Capital were over 40 activists from around the globe including South Africa, Venezuela, Malaysia, Australia, the United States, France and Zimbabwe who called on the Left party leaders to stand firm against the Government's Patents Amendment Bill and its "abusive and health-harming provisions''.

India's Patents (Amendment) Bill is facing mounting national and international criticism from AIDS activists, public health and human rights experts and UN institutions. According to critics, the Bill, if passed, would undermine access to affordable generic.

"Cost-cutting generic competition has become the mainstay of HIV treatment and other ailments, and the Government of India should support public health and access to medicines for all and not crack under pressure from the U.S. government and from large pharma companies,'' said the Treatment Action Campaign (Africa) member, Fatima Hassan

Participating in the protest were Affordable Medicines and Treatment Campaign (India), Citizen's Action Against AIDS (Venezuala), Medecins Sans Frontieres (international NGO) and members of a Delhi-based group involved in the advocacy for people with disabling mental illness.

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