For media enquiries: During WHA: Geneva +41 78 876 5437 or +33 660
839 448 :

People's Health Movement. "Spread the battle against HIV/ AIDS
outside the health arena" says the Asian People's Charter on HIV/
AIDS.

Geneva, 18th May 2004: "Spread the battle against HIV/AIDS outside
the health arena. HIV/ AIDS is also about politics, trade and
profits" says the Asian People's Charter on HIV/ AIDS, an initiative
of the People's Health Movement (PHM).

PHM is an international coalition of grass roots movements and health
professionals that has a presence in nearly 100 countries.

"Hit the disease and the social and political context that amplifies
the epidemic fast, hard and everywhere" said Eva Ombaka, from
Tanzania and a member of PHM. She is attending the 57th World Health
Assembly being held at Geneva, from 17th to 22nd May 2004. HIV/ AIDS
is a key issue that the World health Assembly is addressing this year.

PHM is using the WHA to present and discuss the draft version of the
Asian People's Charter on HIV/ AIDS. The charter is being considered
as a `much needed tool' to do a `reality check' on the HIV/ AIDS
epidemic that is threatening global stability.

"The charter is an amplifier of people's voices" said Zafrullah
Choudhury from Bangladesh and a member of PHM. "We are calling for
urgent action by the UN systems, policy makers and politicians to
address the actual realities of the HIV/ AIDS crisis" he said.

Look at the realities:

In Africa, a whole generation is disappearing in front of our eyes.
Poverty and profits over people's health have turned HIV/ AIDS into a
killing machine.

The epidemic is spreading faster in pockets of Central Asia because
of the ongoing armed conflicts and military expenditure, drug running
and human trafficking.

Children orphaned because of HIV/ AIDS is taking its toll on the next
generation. Time is running out and we need to act now.

Politicians and policy makers in Latin America and Asia have yet to
learn lessons from the tragedy that has unfolded in Africa.

"We know the reasons for these deaths. We know their names and
addresses. The international community will never win the battle
against HIV/ AIDS unless they address its political, cultural,
economic and social dimensions" said Mwajuma S. Masaiganah from
Tanzania.

She was referring to the growing clout of Multi National Drug
companies who have become the major stumbling block in ensuring life
for the millions of people infected and affected with HIV / AIDS.

In 2004, there are over 40 million people worldwide infected with
HIV. 75 % of them are from Africa. Life expectancy in Sub Saharan
Africa dropped by 15 years due to HIV/ AIDS. In 16 worst affected
countries in Africa, life expectancy dropped by 50 %.

It is in this complex political and social reality, PHM is using the
Charter as a rallying point to call the global attention and give a
people's perspective to HIV/ AIDS crises.

The draft charter is being discussed and debated at various levels-
local village meetings to international forums and the World Health
Assembly. Various constituencies are extending their solidarity- from
positive people's network, village health workers to medical
professionals and campaigners working on access to health care and
medicines and women's rights.

The charter is also supported by various international agencies like
ActionAid International, Churches Action for Health, Italian Raoul
Follereau Association (AIFO), Italy, WEMOS, MEDACT, Equinet (South
Africa), Global Equity Gauge Alliance and Health Action
International. National Front in Defense of People's Health, Ecuador
is one of the recent bodies that extended their solidarity for this
charter.

The final version of the charter will be released at the
International AIDS conference scheduled to be held in Bangkok in July
2004.

The Charter, while demanding to place HIV/ AIDS in the context of
primary health care, calls for radical reforms within the approach of
governments, UN institutions like WHO and UNAIDS. "The acid test of
WHO's 3 X 5 initiative is in its ability to strengthen primary health
care systems and addressing gender issues including violence against
women" said Thelma Narayan from India.

The charter also calls for people-based actions like legal action to
challenge the exorbitant drug prices that are a direct violation of
right to life and also to challenge the proposed changes in patent
laws that will make drug prices further unaffordable.

"The lives that have been lost in Africa should not go as waste.
Asia, Latin America and rest of the world should learn from these
costly lessons" said Patricia Nickson from Democratic Republic of
Congo and a public health specialist associated with PHM.

On behalf of the People's Health Movement

Dr. Ravi Narayan
Co-ordinator, PHM secretariat
Maria Hamlin Zuniga
PHM - Latin America
For media enquiries, during WHA: Geneva: +41 78 876 5437 -
Unnikrishnan (For PHM media enquiries: India +91 98450 91319 )

Global Secretariat: CHC, # 367, Jakkasandra 1st Main, 1st Block,
Koramangala, Bangalore - 560 034 India.
Tel.: 91-80-5128 0009 / Telefax: 91-80-552 53 72
E-mail: secretariat@...

Website: http://www.phmovement.org

Networks:
Asian Community Health Action Network (ACHAN);
Consumers International-Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
(CIROAP);
Dag Hammarskjold Foundation (DHF);
Gonoshasthaya Kendra, (GK);
Health Action International (HAI) - Asia-Pacific – HAIAP;
International People's Health Council (IPHC);
Third World Network (TWN);
Women's Global Network for Reproductive Rights (WGNRR)