Asian editorial excerpts -2-

Asian Economic News, July 19, 2004

TOKYO, July 14 Kyodo

Selected editorial excerpts from the Asia-Pacific press:

DEVELOPING WORLD IS GETTING TOGETHER (The Nation, Bangkok)

By cooperating, the world's poorer countries could shift the balance in the way HIV/AIDS is treated.

Over 40 million people worldwide are living with HIV/AIDS and 90 percent of them live in developing countries. This shared catastrophe could be seen as a shared responsibility, requiring closer cooperation among developing countries.

To be effective in the fight against AIDS, unwavering political will is a must...India, Ukraine, Nigeria, Russia and China have already signed a joint declaration to combat HIV/AIDS. And Thailand will formally join the group as a signatory of the pact today.

This joint declaration marks a watershed moment in the common struggle among developing countries against the pandemic.

For the time being, United Nations agencies and international organizations involved in combating HIV/AIDS have offered to do the planning and mapping out of strategies for this grouping.

In their joint effort, they have agreed to produce anti- retroviral medicines and related drugs and medical therapies for the treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS, with a view to promoting universal access for all who need them. Specifically, they want to achieve this goal by lowering costs and through the effective use of generic medicines.

Hopefully this kind of cooperation will lead to a common agenda or plan of action.

Let's hope that the new grouping of countries will collectively change the equation governing the way developing countries bargain with the global pharmaceutical giants. Perhaps both sides will learn to accommodate one another's needs and concerns.

There is no reason that a sufficiently attractive rate of return for investments in drug research and the ability to get affordable medicines to people with HIV/AIDS should remain mutually exclusive.

(July 14)