African AIDS Summit in Nigeria

African governments and international aid organizations are expected today to sign a declaration proposing widespread use of generic AIDS drugs to stem the disease's pandemic sweep across Africa, according to organizers and diplomats who commented on condition of anonymity. African leaders representing more than a dozen countries worked overnight at a two-day summit in Nigeria on AIDS and other infectious diseases, gearing up to defend their proposal to import cheaper drugs while imploring drug companies to continue cutting prices for poor countries.

The draft document, which was authored by African government ministers before the summit, reportedly called for cooperation with pharmaceutical companies "wherever possible." It also includes a proposal to boost African governments' spending up to 15 percent of national budgets in the fight against HIV.

The drug companies argue that the generic market infringes on intellectual property right laws and takes business away from the manufacturers responsible for developing new drugs. "Our most important contribution is in undertaking the research and development needed to bring forward new medicines and vaccines for the diseases of the developing world," said Gunther Faber, vice president of GlaxoSmithKline's operations in sub-Saharan Africa.

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