AIDS TREATMENT NEWS Issue #361, February 28, 2001
John S. James
On March 19 we received the following announcement from Médecins Sans Frontiéres (Doctors Without Borders), asking for signatures on their online petition by April 15:
Médecins Sans Frontiéres (MSF) asks you to support South Africa's efforts to make essential medicines more accessible to its people by signing the global "Drop the Case" petition at http://www.msf.org by April 15.
The petition calls on 39 pharmaceutical companies to drop their lawsuit against the South African government. The lawsuit is blocking the implementation of legislation that aims to improve access to essential medicines by making drugs more affordable.
With over four million already infected with HIV, South Africa has the highest number of people living with HIV/AIDS in the world. Very few can afford the treatment that has extended and improved the lives of people in richer countries. High prices are effectively denying medicines to poor patients, condemning them to a premature death.
MSF asks you to visit our website at http://www.msf.org to sign the petition and demonstrate your support.
Please also forward this message to other concerned people that you know. MSF is working with organizations around the world to try to collect as many signatures as possible by mid-April, when the case resumes in court. We will then present the signatures to the 39 drug companies and to governments.
*Thank you for your concern, Médecins Sans Frontiéres Access to Essential Medicines Campaign*
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