Change [IP] law, Africa urged       
Mildred Parker                

Campaigners against poverty and HIV/AIDS in Africa are now advocating for the amendment of legislation that protects Patent Law.

The call comes in the wake of this year’s G8 declaration in which the leaders agreed to demand further increased levels of Intellectual Property protection from growing economies.

Medecins Sans Frontieres [MSF] said that this means the cost of Aids treatment drugs will continue to soar for the average person, adding that children living with AIDS in countries such as Kenya have a bleak future.

MSF Advisor Dr. Tom Ellman said “Where legislation prevents access to generic drugs, it should be amended and where it allows access it should be acted upon.”

MSF said countries such as Kenya who have adopted Intellectual Property Law should amend it to allow AIDS sufferers access to generic antiretroviral drugs.

Oxfam on the other hand warned that the G8 members’ declaration on Intellectual Property rules [IP] was an extremely aggressive measure that is likely to up prices for essential medicines in poor economies and restrict access to generic drugs.

Senior Policy Advisor at Oxfam, Max Lawson said, “At the end of the day, if this Intellectual Property proposal goes ahead, we may well be worse off overall, as essential life saving  medicines are kept out of reach.”

Dr. Ellman observed that AIDS was an extremely rare disease among children from wealthy nations and added that it was sad to see that African children living with AIDS continued to bear the brunt of declarations by G8 members aimed at putting more restriction on supply or manufacturing of generic drugs.

He added, “The fact that they have the disease at all is the main difference, AIDS among children in rich countries is extremely rare.”