President Calderon Meets with 50 Mexican Non-Governmental Organizations; Commits...

President Calderon Meets with 50 Mexican Non-Governmental Organizations; Commits to Making Lower AIDS Drug Pricing a Priority for National Government

AIDS Drugs Cost 30 Times as Much in Mexico as in Other Latin
American Countries; President Also Commits to Help Work to Overcome
Barriers to Access to Care and Treatment

'Coalicion de Activistas por el Accesso Universal en VIH/SIDA'
Hails Meeting, Vows to Work with President to Obtain Affordable AIDS
Drug Pricing and Ensure Treatment Access
MEXICO CITY--(Business Wire)--
A diverse group of representatives from over 50 Mexican
non-governmental agencies committed to improving the affordability of,
and access to AIDS drugs in Mexico met with Mexican President Felipe
Calderon in Mexico City earlier today to discuss the steep price and
limited availability of lifesaving AIDS drug treatments in Mexico.
During the meeting--which took place six days before Mexico City hosts
22,000 people from around the world for the IVII International AIDS
Conference--President Calderon committed to making AIDS drug pricing a
priority for the National Government and to seeking ways to overcome
barriers to access to care and treatment in Mexico.

Many of the AIDS advocates were encouraged by President Calderon's
presence and his remarks. During the course of the meeting, he
listened thoughtfully to representatives from each of the NGOs
gathered.

"President Calderon was very open during his meeting with the NGOs
this morning and seemed intent on really listening to our concerns,"
said Dra. Patricia Campos, Latin America Bureau Chief for the AIDS
Healthcare Foundation (AHF) and a member of the 'Coalicion de
Activistas por el Accesso Universal en VIH/SIDA.' "The President
stated that he would like the National Government to step up its role
in HIV prevention efforts; HIV/AIDS care and treatment; sex education
and to also step up the fight against stigma, homophobia and
discrimination. As more than 20,000 AIDS doctors, researchers,
scientists, activists and people living with HIV/AIDS prepare to come
to Mexico City next week for the International AIDS Conference, we
look forward to working with the President and his National Government
to ensure that we see these commitments on lower AIDS drug prices and
increased access to treatment become a reality here in Mexico."

Certain world bodies classify Mexico as a middle-income country
using Gross National Income (GNI) as its measure. The country has a
per capita income of roughly US $7,310; however, AIDS drug treatments
that can cost as little as US$150 in what are designated
least-developed or low-income countries in Africa and elsewhere (e.g.
Uganda, Malawi) can cost as much as US$8,000 in Mexico--or about 9.5%
more than and average person's income, making these lifesaving AIDS
regimens all but unaffordable to the majority in need there.

This is in part because middle-income countries are usually not
offered the same drug price reductions as low-income countries.
However, when it comes to country classification, higher overall
average income--middle-income versus low-income--does not necessarily
indicate less poverty, and GNI, which divides a country's total income
by its total population to arrive at an estimate of average individual
incomes, often obscures the fact that the majority of a country's
citizens may live in poverty.

Mexico:
AIDS Healthcare Foundation
Dra. Patricia Campos Lopez
Chief Latin American Bureau
MX direct 01152 33 35 85 31 17
U.S. mobile 1213-361-2524
MX mobile 01152 33 34 82 92 07
patricia.campos@aidshealth.org
or
Perea, Perea & Perea Relaciones Publicas
Ma. Antonia Perea
+52 (55) 52.57.16.57
(5355) 55.41.90.66.34 (mobile)
maperea@ppyp.net
or
United States:
AIDS Healthcare Foundation
Ged Kenslea
Communications Director
+1 323-860-5225 (work)
+1 323-791-5526 (cell)
gedk@aidshealth.org

Copyright Business Wire 2008