As US President George W Bush visits Uganda, an international lobby group has urged the US to allow the import of generic HIV/AIDS drugs in developing countries.
The US recently blocked an international World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreement to allow poor countries to buy cheap drugs.
In response, Oxfam said in a statement: "By blocking negotiations that would give African countries like Botswana and Uganda access to the cheap medicines they so desperately need, the US is undermining the good of its global AIDS initiative."
An estimated 80 percent of the more than 95 percent of HIV/AIDS drugs used to treat people living with HIV/AIDS (PWAs) in Uganda are imported generic versions.
"If access to generic drugs in Uganda is restricted, many clinics will be forced to stop treatment of PWAs. This could mean that thousands of people who urgently need these medicines will have to go without," Oxfam added.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
Share this article
