1 March 2001
"If we do not act now to win affordable medicines, then we will condemn millions of poor people to misery, ignorance, disease and premature deaths" said Blade Nzimande (the General Secretary of South African Communist Party) in relation to the Programme of Action led by the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the Treatment Action Campaign against the Pharmaceutical Manufacturer's Association (PMA).
This Programme, which will start on 04 March, seeks to specifically highlight the court action (starting on 05 March in the Pretoria High Court) by the PMA against the South African government in respect of legislation passed in 1997 in order for South Africa to access affordable medicines.
Given our level of economic development and the massive public health crisis we face, it is unconscionable that South Africa should pay prices similar to the United States of America for its medicines. The legislation challenged by the PMA seeks to correct this through the production of generic medicines locally and parallel importation of medicines, which is already taking place in Thailand, India and Brazil. The big capitalist drug companies are acting to block this so as to protect their huge profits at the expense of the health and lives of poor people the world over.
The production of generic medicines in South Africa is long overdue and is in line with an interventionist and active industrial strategy and policy in order to grow, develop and transform our economy and meet our people's needs. For the SACP, the only way in which we, as a country, can tackle the massive public health crisis, and the deepening racial, class and gender inequalities in our society is through an economic transformation path led by our democratic government which puts the people at its centre and does not hesitate to tamper with the capitalist character of our economy.
"We should not underestimate the importance of the PMA court challenge to this legislation. If the PMA wins, then an anti-people precedent will be set not only for South Africa but for the whole world and struggles for access to affordable medicines will be set back", warned Blade Nzimande.
The SACP calls on all South Africans and other progressive forces in the world to join the 05 March activities in order to act against profiteering by drug companies and for access to affordable medicines by South Africa and all other poor countries in the world.
This is also to announce that Blade Nzimande will address a march (starting from Church Square to the Pretoria High Court and the US Embassy) between 11h30 and 12h30 on Monday, 05 March. Already, SACP structures and hundreds of our members, in their own right as SACP activists, and allied organisations are involved in preparations for this Programme of Action.
CONTACT
Mazibuko K. Jara (surname Jara)
Department of Media, Information and Publicity SACP
Tel: 27 11 339-3621/2
Fax: 27 11 339-4244
Cell: 083 651 0271
Email:
sacp1@wn.apc.org