Hundreds of health activists led by the Stop HIV/AIDS in India Initiative (SHAII) expressed their protest against Indian government's plans to introduce data exclusivity provisions in front of the Indian Embassy in Washington DC on July 8, 2006. The demonstrators from diverse communities urged India not to adopt new drug registration amendments, proclaiming that they would ultimately limit access to affordable AIDS medications worldwide, stated a SHAII release.
"The new data exclusivity amendments under discussion would extend patent protection to generic drugs in India, one of the largest global suppliers of low-cost generic medicines. It will limit India's ability to provide affordable generic drugs to millions of people around the world living with diseases such as HIV/AIDS, hypertension, diabetes, asthma, and many more. Ultimately, the world would pay the price in human lives," it stated.
Dr Vineeta Gupta of SHAII said, "About 6.5 million people in the world need HIV treatment today and only 1.3 million are getting it. More than 70,000 children in India need ARV treatment urgently and only 1048 are getting it. In India, less than 4 per cent HIV-positive pregnant women get counselling or ARV prophylaxis to prevent transmission to the child. It is a fight between profits of the multinational pharmaceutical companies and lives of the people."
Speakers at the rally included Dr Mohan Bhagat, board member, Association of India's Development; Dr Vineeta Gupta, director, Stop HIV/AIDS in India Initiative; Laura Frye, Global AIDS Fellow, American Medical Students Association; Taylor Gilliland, Grassroots Outreach Coordinator, Students Global AIDS Campaign and Jeremy Ogusky, former peace core volunteer in Lesotho, Southern Africa.
The speakers voiced strong opposition to the inclusion of data exclusivity in the Drugs and Cosmetic Act. In addition to handing over the petition, the protesters exposed this devastating trade-off and the associated harmful effects that data exclusivity provisions will have on the collective worldwide health. They urged the Indian government to stand up to the immense pressure of multinational pharmaceutical companies and the United States and not to bring these TRIPs plus changes.
The petition signing and protest was organized by the Stop HIV/AIDS in India Initiative (SHAII), Association for India's Development-CP, Students Global AIDS Campaign, People's Health Movement, and American Medical Students Association in solidarity with the 'Action Week' in India organized by various Indian organizations including Association for India's Development, Lawyers Collective, Indian Network of Positive People, Drug Action Forum - Karnataka, Centre for Trade and Development, and India's Centre for Human Rights and Law.