Headlines US fights criticism at AIDS conference

[morelos]

from http://www.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/conditions/07/14/us.aids.ap/index.html

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) -- The United States on Wednesday rejected a call at the International AIDS Conference for a $1 billion contribution next year to the global fund that has become the centerpiece of U.N. efforts against the disease.

copyright; if you want to read anything more, go to the site. here are the snippets that pissed me off:

The U.S. money goes to countries that support Bush's abstinence-first policy, and it currently can only buy brand-name drugs, usually American, shutting out cheaper generic versions made by developing countries.

There has been furious criticism at the AIDS conference of U.S. policies such as its insistence on abstinence -- rather than condoms -- as a primary way of battling HIV; its trade policies; and its funding methods.

~ dan ~

 

[DanGeo23]

another story I believe in a combo of rubbers and abstinence.... cause it is a behavioral issue... don't engage in the behaviors and you won't get it... but I know people will so we should retrofit some B-52 bombers to carpet bomb Africa with rubbers...

 

[Offalittle]

This is a tricking one. I understand we should not make money on the suffering of others, although it happens all the time, but the companies which make the drugs, and gain the patent on the formula, have put fourth a lot of time and manpower to develop the drugs. How can they get the money they have spent back and more importantly, have more money to spend finding new, more effective drugs, if they have the patent rights pulled out from under them? Seriously, when was the last time you heard of a medical breakthrough in Africa? It does not happen, at least not often, because western companies spend hundreds of millions on R&D.

 

[morelos]

cause it is a behavioral issue... don't engage in the behaviors and you won't get it...

oh man, i'm drunk. thank god it was the last day of my week today.

anyway, you can't ask people not to have sex. it's the only thing other than eating that we're programmed to do.

~ dan ~

 

[morelos]

Seriously, when was the last time you heard of a medical breakthrough in Africa?

ok. where would you go if you had, say, brain cancer and were told by american physicians, "go home and write your will; there's nothing more we can do for you?"

 

[Offalittle]

Is this a trick question.... Home to write my will.

I see where you are going. Your argument is you can leave the country to go get "alternative" treatment not available in America. The problem with that theory is those drugs are still made by Western Block companies which have not gained approval from the FDA so they "test" them where they don't need approval. I am not saying it is right, but that is what happens. I won't say which one here, I am still bound by a semi-enforceable confidentiality clause, but I worked for a huge medical company which sold meds, and that is exactly what they did. I can also attest to the R&D costs, which had to be spread over the useful life of the patent and put quite a dent in the Operating Income. If the period of time you have to spread 100 million of R&D costs drops from 7 years to 2, it is no longer profitable to make drugs.

 

[Pachyderm]

See, Bush is like that health teacher in the Christian school that can't understand why someone hasn't found God yet, but 20 years ago when he was in a drunken stupor and had a revelation, he was no where near as 'pure' as how he presents himself today. It seems anyway the prez ccan make a buck, he's doin it...