US embassy cable - 02HARARE1615

UNCLAS HARARE 001615 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/PD, AF/S, AF/RA 
NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
LONDON FOR GURNEY 
PARIS FOR NEARY 
NAIROBI FOR PFLAUMER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO, ZI 
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT PAPER CALLS ON WEST TO RELAX 
PATENT PROTECTION AND IMPROVE AFRICAN ACCESS TO ARV 
DRUGS 
 
  1.   Under headline "AIDS statistics sobering" the 
      government-controlled weekly "The Sunday News" 
      dedicated its July 7 editorial to calling on Western 
      countries to "amend intellectual property regulations" 
      so as to pave the way for African countries to 
      manufacture low-cost antiretroviral drugs.  Excerpts: 
 
  2.   ". . .The statistics for Africa are worrying.  A 
      total of 28 million Africans are infected, more than 
      two thirds of people who die of HIV-related illnesses 
      live in sub-Saharan Africa. In Western countries, 
      antiretroviral drugs have reduced HIV to a manageable 
      chronic illness rather than a death sentence.  The 
      World Trade Organization and its powerful leaders in 
      the United States and Europe should amend intellectual 
      property regulations to allow African countries to 
      manufacture cheap antiretroviral drugs or to import 
      these life-saving medicines at a discount.  African 
      governments cannot win the AIDS fight alone." 
 
SULLIVAN