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AFRICA: US criticised by global anti-AIDS coalition
JOHANNESBURG, 2 April (PLUSNEWS) - Former UN ambassador Richard Holbrooke has said that denial by the US of cheap generic anti-AIDS drugs to Africa was undermining efforts to tackle the pandemic.
The World Health Organisation (WHO), has said antiretrovirals - such as those produced in India, Brazil and elsewhere - could provide anti-AIDS treatment for as little as US $140 annually per patient.
However, the US has refused the approval of their purchase with US funds until the drugs meet Food and Drug Administration standards. US officials recently outlined their objections at a conference in Botswana.
According to the Cox News Service, Holbrooke said many officials in other countries believed the US policy was based on a desire to support big pharmaceutical companies. This is "tearing apart" efforts to fight the epidemic in poor countries, he said.
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