20 March 2001
The South African Communist Party (SACP) heartily welcomes the offer of solidarity and support in the struggle for affordable medicines made by Comrade President Fidel Castro of Cuba. President Castro announced on Sunday that Cuba has developed world-class AIDS drugs and wants to help SA and Brazil circumvent patent laws to produce cheap generic drugs for AIDS.
This offer, once more, re-affirms the need for universal access to affordable medicines in all poor countries. As the SACP has said before, it is unconscionable that South Africa should pay prices similar to the United States of America for its medicines. The massive public health crisis and the HIV/AIDS epidemic facing many poor countries are a major threat to life, dignity and freedom of people. Premature and unnecessary deaths from many curable diseases, TB and HIV/AIDS threaten to disrupt economic and social life in all poor countries.
The main obstacle to the Cuban offer is the patent ownership and patent abuse over many years by drug companies and their continuing court challenge to the Medicines and Related Substances Amendment Act.
The SACP calls on government to take up the Cuban offer by putting in place a state-led industrial strategy focusing on local generic production. The SACP calls on the Minister of Trade and Industry to use his powers in terms of Section 78 of the Patents Act (No. 57 of 1978) in order to negotiate and issue voluntary licences for the local production of generic medicines.
Such production of generic medicines, led by the state and supported by Cuba and other stakeholders, will provide low cost, good quality generic medicines to the public. This will lead to local job creation, increased regional trade and above all fulfill our constitutional obligations to life, dignity, equality and access to health care.
Finally, the SACP calls on all South Africans and other progressive forces in the world to continue with mass action against drug companies when the court challenge by drug companies against South African legislation for affordable medicines resumes on 18 April 2001.
CONTACT
Mazibuko K. Jara (surname Jara)
Department of Media, Information and Publicity
Tel: 27 11 339-3621/2
Fax - 27 11 339-4244
Cell: 083 651 0271
Email: sacp1@wn.apc.org