MEPs call for action against AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa
Members of the European Parliament have approved a resolution demanding urgent action to fight the epidemic of HIV infection and AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. The resolution proposes that a new initiative to tackle the disease should be agreed at the Millennium summit of world leaders beginning in New York on September 10 and for the Commission, Member States and all key players to give the highest financial priority to the problem. It notes that the AIDS epidemic causes five deaths every minute in Africa and has already created more than 13.2 million orphans. As the largest single cause of mortality in sub Saharan Africa, AIDS would cause average life expectancies to fall below to below 45 years during the first half of the new century. It is also likely to cause dramatic shifts in demographics, contributing to mass migration and the collapse of the agricultural economy in many areas. MEPS noted that the World Bank has established a US$ 500 million fund to help African governments develop their own AIDS control schemes. However, the true cost of fighting the disease was likely to run into billions and they urged the European Investment Bank and Commission to offer further assistance. The results of trials in the UK of a new AIDS vaccine should be closely monitored by the Commission, the resolution says. It also calls on pharmaceutical companies to reduce the prices of anti-retroviral drugs and other AIDS treatments to a level that is affordable in the developing world and for some products to be provided free of charge.