BioCentury
ARTICLE | Politics & Policy

EU, U.S. call for cheaper drugs for poor countries

December 19, 2000 8:00 AM UTC

The European Union and the United States called on drug companies to provide drugs for serious diseases to poor countries at low cost. An official statement released Monday following the EU-U.S. summit meeting said that "better access to affordable pharmaceuticals and commodities to prevent" HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis is "crucial." The EU and the U.S. said they will "seek to assist in setting up effective infrastructures and will take steps to make key medicines and commodities more affordable and available." They urged "the pharmaceutical industry to make drugs for HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis more affordable, particularly for the poorest countries," and they emphasized "the importance of providing more affordable pricing and strict compliance with safety and quality assurance laws and regulations." ...