US pledges to provide cheap AIDS drugs

The United States, which has severely been accused of keeping the price of HIV/AIDS drugs high through patent protection, Wednesday expressed their commitment to provide the cheapest-possible HIV/AIDS drugs to those in poor countries.

"I have consistently and repeatedly expressed our intent to provide, through the Emergency Plan, AIDS drugs that are acquired at the lowest possible cost, regardless of origin or who produce them," said the US Global Aids Coordinator Ambassador Randall L Tobias.

The US Congress has approved $ 15 billions in January for the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (Pepfar) which is aimed to provide assistance for treatment and prevention for 15 countries, including Vietnam.

To be qualified for Pepfar, the drugs would have to receive an approval from the US Food and Drug Administration, a step that drug producers are reluctant to complete.

"I call on each of you today to urge every company manufacturing these drugs to file their applications as soon as possible so that we can begin funding these drugs as soon as possible," said Tobias.

The first public talk of this highest-level delegate of United States to the 15th International AIDS Conference Wednesday was greeted with heavy protest from activists who accused the superpower of making little efforts to provide generic drugs.

"Bush lies, people died, generic drugs now," a group of dozens of activists marched and shouted loudly before Tobias delivered his special lecture in the indoor stadium.