Access to AIDS Drugs in Danger, Activists Say

Representatives of aid groups are warning that the Obama administration, in its bid to craft a consensus health care reform package, is blocking access to cheaper AIDS treatment for patients in poor countries. On Wednesday, advocates met with administration officials at the State Department in Washington. Afterward, some advocates described the meeting as cordial but unfulfilling.

Officials with groups including Doctors Without Borders, Oxfam International, and Knowledge Ecology International (KEI) said they had hoped President Obama would support making generic drugs more accessible in developing countries. Instead, "it appears that Obama appointees are continuing to work from the playbook of the last administration," said Rohit Malpani, an Oxfam policy advisor.

James Love of KEI accused the administration of being too friendly with the pharmaceutical industry in order to win support for overhauling the US health care system.

Obama officials rejected the criticisms, saying the president had already begun to change trade policies. "We approach our trading partners, recognizing the public health needs in developing and least-developed countries, as well as promoting a thriving global environment for innovation," said Debbie Mesloh, a deputy assistant US trade representative.

Pharmaceutical industry leaders said they have supported numerous programs to lower the cost of drugs, while still defending intellectual property rights on quality and safety grounds.

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