People Before Profits

Every year 15 million people die from infectious diseases and 40 million people live with HIV/AIDS. Some of this could be prevented if poor people had access to affordable medicines. WTO patent rules, by raising prices, prevent millions from being able to afford life-saving drugs. Oxfam's Make Trade Fair campaign has joined forces with developing countries and other organisations to demand that the WTO puts public health before wealth.

As a result of our combined efforts, in November 2001, WTO ministers declared that patent rules should not prevent countries from taking measures to protect public health or promote access to medicines for all. Ministers also agreed to correct an absurd and damaging rule that allows developing countries to import cheaper generic medicines, but restricts producer countries from exporting them.

Add your voice to ours - take action now. web link here

Please email or write to Pascal Lamy, Trade Commissioner for the European Commission, and Robert Zoellick, Chief US Trade Representative, and ask them, in your own words, to actively support a solution that allows developing countries to obtain affordable generic versions of vital new medicines. web link here

Make your voice count - be part of the Big Noise.

Thank you very much.

Jo Fox
Trade Campaign Manager

This campaign action is supported by ActionAid Alliance; Consumer Project On Technology, US; Health GAP, US; Health Action International; Lawyers Collective' HIV/AIDS Unit, India; Medecins Sans Frontieres; Oxfam International; Thai NGO Coalition on AIDS and Thai Network of People with HIV/AIDS; Third World Network; Treatment Action Campaign, South Africa.