Brazil and Argentina Build AIDS Drug Factory in 2006

Latin America and Caribbean nations have agreed, in Brazil, to act together to increase the availability of HIV/AIDS drugs in the region. They will jointly negotiate cheaper imports of HIV/AIDS drugs, and will share information and costs to produce their own.

The 19 countries made the agreement last week at a three-day meeting on HIV/AIDS prevention in the Brazilian capital Brasilia.
It was followed by the announcement on January 18 that Argentina and Brazil will produce HIV/AIDS drugs together at a US$ 10 million factory they are building this year.

Pedro Chequer, director of Brazil’s national HIV/AIDS program, told delegates in Brasilia that it was important for nations to work together to improve local capacity for drug production, because temporary price reductions are unsustainable in medium and long-term.

The meeting’s final report, to be presented at the UN general assembly in May, will recommend creating ways to measure access to AIDS prevention, assistance and treatment in the region.

It will also call on the international community to help overcome political and economic barriers in negotiations over the costs of HIV/AIDS drugs.

Last year, Brazil obtained lower prices for several foreign companies’ HIV/AIDS drugs by threatening to break patents on them and produce them in Brazil.

"It is fundamental for the countries to unite and to count on international agencies for support," said Chequer.

Science and Development Network – www.scidev.net.

Tags:

You May Also Like

Brazil Wants a Joint Effort to Fight Desertification

Desertification could affect 1,482 municipalities in Brazil, attaining an area of over a million ...

Canada to Teach How to Protect Brazilians Threatened by Death

Brazil’s Minister Nilmário Miranda, in charge of the Special Secretariat for Human Rights, announced ...

From Lampião to Zé Bonito: Brazil’s Vast Gallery of Good Thieves

The grotesque adage that “a good thief is a dead thief” is common knowledge ...

An Inquiry on Brazil, That’s What We Need

{mosimage}The Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI) into the operation of the Brazilian Post Office ...

Brazil Launches International Campaign on Orphan Diseases

Encouraging governments to invest more on combatting the so-called neglected diseases is the main ...

Brazil to Use Bio-Thermal Umbilical Chip to Track Hoof and Mouth Disease

Digital Angel Corporation, an advanced technology company in the field of rapid and accurate ...

Poll Shows Brazil’s Lula Zipping 14 Points Ahead of Alckmin

Two new polls released yesterday, October 12, in Brazil by Ibope and Vox Populi ...

Brazil makes it easier to study biodiversity

Brazil Adopts New Friendlier Rules for Biodiversity Studies

The Brazilian government has announced a new system that will issue licenses to collect ...

Brazilian Troops Use Guns and Tear Gas During Haiti Elections

Brazilian troops were responsible for the security of 88 voting centers in the Haitian ...

Brazilian Arrested in US Faces 5 Years in Jail for Selling Pornography

Brazilian Danilo Simões Croce, 42, of São Paulo, was arrested in Orlando, Florida. yesterday, ...