July 21, 2016

INDIA endangering the global AIDS response: Constitutional Court Justice, Human Rights Activists, and Medical Groups Raise Alarm

Contacts:

Matthew Kavanagh, [email protected] SA: +27 (0)60 937 3425 US: +1 202 486 2488
Anso Thom, [email protected]+27(0)82 466 7822
Gill Mathurin, AIDS Free World, [email protected]

 

Radical shrinking space for civil society, generic drugs 

Speakers will include:

  • Justice Zak Yacoob, former Justice, Constitutional Court of South Africa
  • Stephen Lewis, Co-Director, AIDS Free World and former UN Special Envoy on HIV/AIDS in Africa
  • Meena Seshu, Women’s Rights Advocate
  • Leena Menghaney, Medecins Sans Frontier/Doctors Without Borders
  • Mark Heywood, Executive Director, SECTION 27

When:             Thursday, 21 July  9am on Thursday 21, July at 09:00-09:45. 

Where:            International AIDS Conference, Durban International Convention Center, Media Center, Press Conference Room 2

What:

Global leaders on AIDS and human rights will raise the alarm about policy reversals in India that are endangering the global AIDS response. Recently, the Lawyers Collective—a renowned human rights and HIV group central to ensuring policies are used to expand affordable medicine production in India and globally—has been targeted by the Indian government for its activities. Simultaneously, the Indian government has signalled that it will bow to outside pressure and will give up the use of the policies that have made India the “pharmacy of the developing world.”  

Why:

India is cracking down on civil society groups and bowing to political pressure from the United States and multinational pharmaceutical companies to roll back the development of quality, affordable generic medicines for the world. As the supplier of more than 80% of generic AIDS drugs used in low- and middle-income countries, changes to India’s policies on affordable medicines could have dire consequences for people living with HIV worldwide

NOTE TO JOURNALISTS:

Following the press conference a civil society march left from the ICC to deliver a statement of concern from hundreds of people attending the AIDS conference to the Consulate of India.

Please feel free to use any of the attached photos.

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