Chinese City Emerges As Model in AIDS Fight
Here in mountainous southwestern China, where heroin begat AIDS and AIDS begat death, discrimination and official denial, Gejiu is emerging as a model of how China is trying to reverse its once abysmal record on AIDS. In the last 18 months, China’s top leaders have made AIDS a national priority and introduced a host of policies, some contentious even by Western standards.
Not too long ago China denied it had an AIDS problem and tried to cover up a tainted blood-selling program that infected untold thousands of farmers. Even now, the police in some cities still arrest and harass advocates for AIDS patients or try to conceal the presence of the disease.
But places like Gejiu are starting to carry out the central government’s new policies, including needle exchanges and making condoms available in hotel rooms. And the Health Ministry is planning a nationwide expansion. China now has 8 methadone clinics but wants to reach up to 5,000 by 2010.
This article in the New York Times is in general a fairly interesting but not exactly shocking piece-except for this one quote towards the end. My emphasis added.
Another immediate challenge for the central government is the limited availability of antiretroviral drugs. Many patients cannot tolerate the regimen offered in the free drug program, but the government does not yet have another regimen. Negotiations are under way with pharmaceutical companies, but China has resisted any steps that might infringe upon patent law.
Let me show you that last bit again.
China has resisted any steps that might infringe upon patent law
My god. Can it possibly be true that the Chinese government has finally caved to the international IP lobby?