SuperProfits
From: Alison Thorne <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: Left Link <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
X-Loop: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Precedence: bulk
A call to action from Q.U.E.E.R.
Support the Global of Day of Action to Challenge
Pharmaceutical Company Super Profits on 5 March 2001
By December 2000, 36 million people were living with HIV, the majority of
them in Africa. In the year 2000, 2.5 million adults and half a million
children died of AIDS, again the majority in Africa. Yet most people with
HIV or AIDS cannot access drugs to treat symptoms, infections such as TB or
anti-retroviral drugs to suspend the replication of HIV.
The major pharmaceutical companies, with global sales of $315 billion per
year, earn less than 1% of their profits from Africa, yet are campaigning
to prevent African Government from buying cheap generic HIV medicines from
producers in India, Brazil and Thailand. GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and 41
international pharmaceutical companies begin a court case against the South
African government on 5 March. Treatments Action Campaign has designated
this day as a global day of action.
GSK is also trying to stop Ghana buying anti-HIV drugs from the Indian
company CIPLA. CIPLA has offered combination HIV therapies to international
non-profit health agencies for $800 per patient per year, while GSK charges
over $18,000. Meanwhile, the US Government is hauling Brazil before the WTO
for producing anti-HIV drugs for its citizens. Through this program Brazil
has cuts its mortality rate by 50%.
In national emergencies, the TRIPs agreement of the World Trade
Organisation allows governments to allow local production of patented
goods, where the international owners are failing to make those products
available affordably. If AIDS is not an emergency, what is?
The main obstacle making treatments available for millions of people with
HIV in Africa and across the developing world is the drive by companies
such as GSK, Pfizer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Merck, Bristol Myers Squibb and
Roche to protect their patents and super profits. HIV drugs alone are
useless without access to treatments for opportunistic infections, and
functioning primary health services. In Many countries, these have been
undermined by structural adjustment program enforced by international
financial institutions and by massive debt repayments. Governments must
shift their expenditure back to health and education and away from
armaments and the unjust international debt.
Drop the lawsuits by the Pharmaceutical companies! Cancel the third world
debt! Affordable HIV Medicines for all who need them!
What you can do:
Support the Global Day of Action on Monday 5 March - ring talk back radio,
send a letter to the editor, write to Steve Skolsky, General Manager
Pharmaceuticals, GlaxoSmithKline, PO Box 168 Boronia Vic 3155.
Mobilise in support of M1 Blockade - In the spirit of S11 Shut Down
Corporate Melbourne! 7.30 am on Tuesday 1 May meet @ the Stock Exchange,
530 Collins Street.
Support the Global Treatments Access Network (Australia), GPO Box 415
Sydney NSW 2001. E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Join Q.U.E.E.R. - next meeting, 6 pm Tuesday 6 March @ NUS Office, Trades
Hall, Carlton. Contact us: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED]
or call Darren & Nina on 8344-8159
Queers United to Eradicate Economic Rationalism
C/- Queer Department, RMIT Student Union, PO Box 12387 A=B9Beckett Street
Post Office, Melbourne 8006
21 February 2001
Steve Skolsky
General Manager, Pharmaceuticals
GlaxoSmithKline
PO Box 168
BORONIA, VIC 3155
Dear Mr Skolsky
Q.U.E.E.R. is an an activist group of queer students, trade unionists and
community activists committed to challenging all forms of injustice.
We are angry that GlaxoSmithKline and 41 other pharmaceutical giants will
begin a court case against the South African Government on 5 March in a bid
to stop South Africa from importing cheaper generic anti-HIV drugs.
We see this court case, an act of murderous corporate thuggery!
As you=B9d be aware, last December 36 million people were living with HIV
and most of these people live in Africa. Last year 2.5 million adults and
half a million children died as a result of AIDS.
This is an international emergency.
Meanwhile, your company obscenely aims to bolster its profits by
preventing third world countries from buying cheap HIV medicines produced
in India, Brazil and Thailand. The Indian Company, CIPLA, has offered to
sell HIV combination therapies to non-profit agencies for $800 per patient
per year - drugs for which GlaxoSmithKline charges $18,000! This cannot be
justified.
Monday 5 March has been declared an international day of action. While
GlaxoSmithKline is heading off to court with the express aim of denying
people in Africa access to treatments, people around the world who are
appalled by the immorality of your company's actions will be working to
publicise, protest and stop your actions. Q.U.E.E.R is proud to be amongst
them.
Drop the lawsuit! Cancel the third world debt! Affordable HIV medicines for
all who need them!
Yours sincerely
Alison Thorne
on behalf of Queers United to Eradicate Economic Rationalism
--
Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/
Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop
Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink
Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
