Search
  1. Home
  2. East Africa
  3. Uganda

UN assistance sought on Indian AIDS drug move

    JOHANNESBURG

    The rising cost of anti-AIDS drugs in Uganda has prompted the government to seek UN intervention to avert a "looming crisis".

    According to the Health Ministry, the antiretroviral price hike comes a week after the World Trade Organisation pressured India to curtail the copying of patented generic AIDS medicines.

    A local newspaper, The Monitor, quoted Ugandan director-general of health services Prof Francis Omaswa as saying: "The UN secretary-general [Kofi Annan] has to get involved in this issue - he should use his good offices to prevail over the World Trade Organisation."

    New Indian legislation halting the production of cheap generic AIDS medication has sparked international demonstrations by HIV/AIDS activists.

    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

    Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

    We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

    Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian

    Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

    Join