Activist Orgs including UAEM Ask Canadian Parliament to Take Action on Affordable Meds for Poor Countries

UAEM has joined with other Canadian civil society organizations to ask Parliament to pass CAMR reform.  On World AIDS Day members of parliament must remember the incredible need for treatment that is currently unmet.  In times of retracting budgets, CAMR reform can help provide affordable treatment WITH NO COST.  

The press release from the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network is below as is the letter to Parliament.

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WORLD AIDS DAY A STARK REMINDER THAT MPs HAVE POWER TO SAVE LIVES

Civil society groups release open letter urging support for access to medicines bill

Toronto, November 30, 2010 — Canadian civil society organizations focused on global health and international development are calling on Members of Parliament to recognize World AIDS Day by committing to support legislation to reform Canada’s Access to Medicines Regime (CAMR). The open letter to MPs, signed by leading organizations from across the country, highlights the many reasons why supporting CAMR reform is a humanitarian imperative — particularly with more than 1.8 million people dying of AIDS in 2009, including 260,000 children.

Bill C-393 aims to streamline CAMR, which was created by Parliament in 2004 with the goal of getting lower-cost generic medicines for AIDS and other public health problems to developing countries but has failed to deliver. The bill is endorsed by international legal experts, economists, physicians and researchers, as well as dozens of other prominent leaders in the arts community, leaders from various faith communities, labour leaders and members of the Order of Canada, as well as the former Prime Minister whose government first created CAMR. In addition, a national poll indicates that 80 percent of Canadians support fixing CAMR.

“It’s time to put people before politics,” said Richard Elliott, Executive Director of the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network and one of the authors of the letter. “Bill C-393 meets all of Canada’s international legal obligations, including under WTO rules. It is fair to both generic and brandname pharmaceutical companies. And it won’t cost Canadian taxpayers a penny. Most importantly, this legislation will save lives.”

For more information about CAMR and Bill C-393, please see www.aidslaw.ca/camr.

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Contact:

Christopher Holcroft

Principal, Empower Consulting for the Legal Network

Telephone: +1 416 996-0767, chris_holcroft@yahoo.com