Global AIDS Alliance Deplores Violence by Small Minority at Genoa

[Guest guest]

Global AIDS Alliance

Global AIDS Alliance Deplores Violence by Small Minority at Genoa

Group “Deeply Disappointed” by G7 Initiatives

“With such low funding to fight AIDS and rejection of deeper debt relief, the G7

condemns millions to die.”

July 21, 2001 -- For Immediate Release

Contact: Bryden, mobile in Genoa: 39 3357 264 929, Kim Nichols in New

York City, 212-222-3882

GENOA, ITALY, JULY 21 -- Today, the Global AIDS Alliance (GAA), a broad,

transnational alliance AIDS, religious, human rights, development groups,

deplored the violent confrontation between the police and small minority of the

demonstrators in Genoa yesterday. “The police must use non-lethal and

non-provocative ways of responding to illegal activities,” commented GAA

spokesperson Bryden, in Genoa. “The destruction yesterday was carried out

by a very small group of people who acted contrary to the guidelines of the main

group organizing peaceful assembly here. We continue to support peaceful

assembly and non-violent actions. These continue to be essential ways of

raising awareness about the real, substantive issues at stake.”

On the vital issues being discussed by the leaders at the Summit, the GAA called

attention to the disconnect between the language of “AIDS emergency” and concern

for the poor used by President Bush in Genoa and the real content of budgetary

decisions on AIDS and debt relief policies being pursued by the Administration

and some leaders in Congress, back in Washington.

“The pledges to the Fund proposed at Genoa are still outrageously low,” stated

Bryden, spokesperson for the Global AIDS Alliance. “And while President

Bush talks of AIDS as an emergency, bipartisan initiatives in Congress to

massively increase funding to fight AIDS are languishing for lack of support

from the White House.” Next week Representatives Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Rep.

Jim Leach (R-IA) will offer an amendment to the Foreign Aid Bill on the floor of

the House to increase the US donation to the Global Fund by $60 million. The

GAA and numerous other health, religious, and development groups support this

amendment as a vital step forward. “We will see if that amendment passes –

that’s the first test of whether US statements here can be believed. We are

also eager to see if Bush and House leaders will support emergency supplemental

funds for fiscal 2001 to fight AIDS, as passed by the Senate – that will be

another test of whether the US is serious about being a real leader in this

fight.” The GAA maintains the US should contribute an amount proportionate to

its wealth, at least $2.5 billion. The US currently spends $446 million on

global AIDS programs, with about half of that devoted to assisting Africa.

Yesterday the G7 statement said the existing debt relief program would provide

countries a “lasting exit” from their debt crisis, contradicting the World

Bank’s own recent study which said debt levels would still rise. Of the 23

countries that received HIPC debt relief so far, 15 still have annual debt

service payments higher than what the country is currently able to spend on

basic health care. " That doesn't make sense from a public health standpoint.

Immediate debt cancellation by the IMF and the World Bank could provide over

half a billion dollars per year for the HIV/AIDS fight. This would cost the

American taxpayer nothing. The call for debt cancellation is not some obsession

or fringe issue -- it is directly related to efforts to fight this disease. The

Bush proposal on grants does advance the debate, and could be quite positive,

but it seems limited in scope and we still need to see the fine print,” stated

Bryden.

GAA calls for countries to be able to access AIDS drugs based on two-tiered

pricing and open competition, including patented and generic products to ensure

access to lowest cost drugs and commodities to treat AIDS and associated

opportunistic infections. “We are deeply disappointed the US keeps trying to

block generic competition at the behest of pharmaceutical industry. It’s

putting us at odds with our European allies. If it succeeds, millions who can be

effectively and safely treated for their HIV infection will die needlessly

because the prices of the drugs will continue to be too high.”

The Global AIDS Alliance, founded earlier this year, is a broad, international

coalition of religious, humanitarian, consumer and social justice groups.

Founding members include the African Services Committee, Physicians for Human

Rights, AFRICARE, Jubilee USA Network, Health GAP Coalition, American Jewish

Congress, the National Council of Churches and the National Black Leadership

Roundtable.

###

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Mail2Web - Check your email from the web at

http://www.mail2web.com/ .