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Fight AIDS jointly

(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-12-01 07:37

On the 21st World AIDS Day which falls today, we have no reason to feel complacent about what we have done in halting the spread of HIV either in China or in the world at large.

We are informed that of all the epidemics AIDS had claimed the highest death toll in three consecutive months by the end of August. Latest statistics from the Ministry of Health show that more than 50,000 were affected with HIV last year alone. That means 140 people became new HIV carriers each day in 2007. The total number of reported HIV patients was more than 260,000 by the end of September.

What makes the situation worse is that problematic sex has become the primary carrier of the virus infection rather than drug abuse and blood transfusion, confirming that our society is becoming increasingly permissive.

Apart from the need for publicity about the right attitude toward sex and awareness about safe sex, we must face the reality that most AIDS patients who were infected a decade ago or even before are dying. More than 34,000 AIDS patients had died by the end of September since the first case was reported in the country in 1985.

It is quite possible that we may expect much more deaths of such patients in the coming years. When we can hardly do much to save their lives, the question of whether they could have lived longer will probably make a difference to many more patients who have been newly infected with the virus.

Although free medication has been rendered to AIDS patients in many parts of the country, very high patent fees for domestic production of newly-invented medicines have prevented them from having access to the most effective medicine. This has not only affected their treatment, but also make it more likely for them to develop resistance to the medicines they have been taking for years.

True, patent holders have their reason to recoup the cost in the form of both human resources and money they have spent in inventing the medicines by charging patent fees. Yet, there should be a limit to the profit they make by doing so.

It is immoral and against humanitarian principles for patent holders to reap high profits when many AIDS patients are struggling on the verge of death, those in developing countries in particular.

We may produce the medicine without paying the fees as some countries do or even threaten to do so in the negotiations with patent holding companies to beat down the price. But it will not only violate international conventions but also damage the long-term interest of domestic medicine manufacturers.

A protocol adopted by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress last year allows compulsory production of particular kinds of medicine that is badly needed for epidemics without paying patent fees. This may pave the way for the production of new medicines for AIDS patients.

However, for the benefit of AIDS patients and the final goal of eliminating the HIV virus, we need joint efforts by the international community to better fight this menace.

(China Daily 12/01/2008 page4)