Push campaign ex
33 million people are currently living with HIV and AIDS.
Two thirds of sufferers do not have access to life-saving medicines.
This is stark proof that governments are falling seriously short of their commitment to provide universal access to treatment for HIV and AIDS by 2010 (Millennium Development Goal 6). As the deadline approaches, urgent and drastic action is needed in order to achieve this goal.
World Vision and the Stop AIDS campaign believe that barriers to providing universal access to HIV and AIDS treatment can be broken down if pharmaceutical companies bring their patents on medicines into something called a 'patent pool'. This would facilitate research into improved treatments, whilst also helping companies to produce cheaper, more accessible medication for millions of children and adults living with HIV.
Progress so far:
Since the campaign launched in November 2007, it has been gathering momentum fast, gaining attention and support in influential public, private and political arenas.
On 24th March 2009, over 100 student Stop AIDS campaigners travelled to Westminster where they presented Ivan Lewis, the Under Secretary of State for Development, with 21696 petitions calling on the government to back the idea of a patent pool.
On 22nd June 2009 thirty students from Northampton Girls School travelled to Westminster to grill MP Sally Keeble and Katy Athersuch, Coordinator of the StopAIDS Campaign on HIV and AIDS issues. They presented her with two scrap books representing the Push for the Pool Campaign petitions, one for herself and one to pass on to Michael Foster, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in DFID.
"NSG students were very effective at making the case for more support for combating HIV and Aids. The fantastic albums that they provided I will present to the International Development Secretary so there will be practical results from the work that the students have done." Sally Keeble, MP.
Ivan Lewis in our very own 'patent pool' (Credit: Andrew Aitchison)
Pupils from Northampton Girls School questioned Sally Keeble, MP and Katy Athersuch, Coordinator of the Stop AIDS Campaign. (Credit: Chris Yarrow Photography)
patent pool newsflash
NEWSFLASH
In May 2009, a presentation on the patent pool was given to numerous high-level officials at the World Health Assembly. Dr Kevin de Cock, Director of the World Health Organisation’s HIV and AIDS Department commented: "If we are not careful, Universal Access will slip through our fingers. If WHO guidelines change to initiate antiretroviral therapy earlier, treatment needs in some countries might effectively double. This patent pool initiative is timely and urgent."
