AFRO-NETS> Implementation of Antiretroviral Therapy in the Developing World

[Gregg Gonsalves <Greggg@gmhc.org>]

Implementation of Antiretroviral Therapy in the Developing World
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- Brazil and Beyond


A Preliminary Announcement:

A public policy forum sponsored by Gay Men's Health Crisis and Grupo 
Pela Vidda/Rio de Janeiro

Friday, June 22, 2001
9am - 5pm
New York City
venue to be determined

This is the larger lesson of Brazil: AIDS can become a manageable 
disease in the third world, but it takes power, in addition to other 
things. The ability to pull the price of AIDS drugs within reach of 
those who need them may someday come from the backing of some inter-
national organization, or the pharmaceutical industry might find re-
ligion. But at the moment, it arises only from the threat to make or 
buy generic drugs. AIDS is turning the third world's human landscape 
into a parched wasteland. Brazil has shown that, armed with the power 
of competition, a government can do more than sit and watch the de-
sert encroach. 

--
Tina Rosenberg, Look at Brazil, New York Times Magazine, January 28, 
2001

Brazil has been able to provide anti-AIDS drugs to approximately 
100,000 of its HIV+ citizens sparing them from unnecessary suffering 
and death. In fact, AIDS-related mortality in Brazil has dropped 50% 
since this program was introduced in 1995/1996. Brazil provides these 
medications for free and can only do so because the country's public 
laboratories manufacture generic versions of these medications. The 
price of the patented versions of these drugs would have made their 
use in Brazil's program unfeasible. How was Brazil's program fought 
for and established? How is it working? What would it take to repli-
cate the Brazilian model in other developing countries? Come learn 
about the Brazilian model from the people who were involved in its 
creation and efforts to establish anti-AIDS drug programs in other 
resource-poor nations.

Moderated by:
Ana Oliveira, Executive Director, GMHC
Ezio Santo-Filho, Vice-President, Grupo Pela VIDDA/Rio de Janeiro

Confirmed Speakers:
Dr. Paulo Roberto Teixeira, Coordinator, National STD/AIDS Program, 
Brazil
Dr. Eloan dos Santos Pinheiro, Director, Director of the Brazilian 
Institute of Drug Technology (Far-Manguinhos)
Dr. Pedro Chequer, UNAIDS Inter-Country Program Advisor, Southern 
Cone
Dr. Peter Mugyenyi, Director, Joint Clinical Research Center, Kam-
pala, Uganda 
Dr. Bruce Walker, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General 
Hospital
Medicins Sans Frontieres has agreed to participate, but is deciding 
who to send to speak

We still have outstanding invitations to:

His Excellency Health Minister Jose Serra, Brazil
Carol Bellamy, Executive Director, UNICEF
Yusef Hamied, Chairman and Managing Director, Cipla, Ltd
Jeffrey Sachs, Professor and Director of the Center for International
Development, Harvard University
Dr. Awa Marie Coll-Seck, Director of Policy, Strategy & Research, 
UNAIDS 


For more information contact:

Gregg Gonsalves
Director of Treatment Advocacy
Gay Men's Health Crisis
119 West 24th Street
New York, NY 10011, USa
Tel: +1-212-367-1169
Fax: +1-212-367-1235
mailto:greggg@gmhc.org

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