A Global Day of Action is being organized on Feb 26, 2005 to protest the Patents Amendment bill that is currently under consideration by Indian parliament. Please support and participate!

The motto is: Stop HIV/AIDS, Right to Health! Access To Medications

As part of this Global Day of Action in Washington DC, a press conference and a peaceful rally are being organized to urge India to maintain support for affordable AIDS medication.

Changes to India’s Patent Act threaten global access to generic medication!

You can join the peaceful rally at Embassy of India, 2107 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC (near Dupont Circle metro) on Saturday, February 26, 2005 – 3.30 pm

This is being organized by Global Campaign Against the Indian Patent Amendment (GCAIPA), including National Working Group on Patent Laws, New Delhi, Affordable Medicines and Treatment Campaign (AMTC), Mumbai, People's Health Movement Secretariat (Global), Bangalore, Association For India’s Development Washington, DC, USA.

For more information
Contact: Vineeta Gupta Email: guptahr@yahoo.com Ph. 202-296-0838 Ext.207
Global AIDS Alliance, Washington, DC, USA

David Bryden Email:dbryden@globalaidsalliance.org Ph. 202-296-0838 Ext.211
Health Gap (Global Access project) Philadelphia, USA
More info can also be found at www.gcaipa.org

Background
India is under pressure to comply with the TRIPS agreement on Intellectual Property Rights, as dictated by World Trade Organization (WTO). This peoples’ mobilization effort is aimed at building solidarity around pressurizing the Indian Government to reassess the Bill to take into account all the flexibilities offered by TRIPS. The bill in its current form is even more stringent than what the TRIPS regulations demand.

If India’s patent laws are changed to favor international market demands, majority of Indians who can barely afford medicines and health care even in the current scenario and as many as 200 developing countries, would be severely affected by this. Costs of medicines will be dictated by a few multi-national companies in US and Europe, and borne by those suffering from HIV/AIDS, cancer, tuberculosis, malaria and other life threatening diseases.

Many Indian organizations and international groups are making intensive efforts to prevent these amendments from coming into effect. We believe that a collective struggle can bring a significant impact on the Patents Act. A major global mobilization for “right to health” is underway! This campaign is trying to interact with members of the Indian parliament to urge them to stop this draconian law from coming into existence, in the interest of people’s right to health.

Related Links
The Ordinance for Amendment of Patents Law: Where are the Democratic Processes?
The Health of South Asia: People
Health of South Asia: Infrastructure