This document assesses some of the measures taken recently to improve access to more affordable ARV therapy in developing countries. It provides a synopsis of the key WTO rules and developments, and of the Canadian law, the concrete benefits of which have yet to be realized.
Until now, India, Brazil and Thailand have been among the biggest generic ARV producers, both for their own people and for export. This production has been crucial for the supply of affordable treatment in the developing world. It has resulted in competition between producers, which has reduced the price of many ARVs from as much … Read more
In this issue: Legal Network challenges federal crime bill Federal AIDS funding: more administration, less action? 15th Annual Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research Legal Network represented at high-level UN meeting Legal Network contributes to CARICOM meeting on HIV and human rights Canadian Coalition of People Who Use Drugs Legal Network discusses sex worker rights with … Read more
“We struggle to know the shape of an effective and sustainable response to HIV/AIDS. It is perhaps simpleminded, but still, I think, crucial to suggest that we cannot succeed in fi nding an effective response if our analyses of HIV/AIDS are separate or abstract from the real-life situations of those who stand most directly in … Read more
There has recently been a movement on the part of the newly elected federal government to consider mandatory sentences and stiff penalties for drug offenders. However, scientific evidence indicates that mandatory minimum sentences only worsen the health-related harms associated with incarceration by increasing the transmission of infectious disease in prisons.
This report examines the issue of prison needle exchange based upon the international experience and evidence current to April 2006. The authors undertook a literature review, visited prisons in four countries, and corresponded with people responsible for administering prison needle exchange programs. The report provides a comprehensive review of the evidentiary and legal basis for … Read more
The calls for provider-initiated routine HIV testing are growing more intense. In this article, Joanne Csete and Richard Elliott discuss the human rights and ethical issues raised by the routine testing approach. Some points in this paper are inspired by an international expert meeting on HIV testing and human rights convened by the Center for … Read more
FEATURE Scaling up HIV testing: human rights and hidden costs CANADIAN DEVELOPMENTS Health Canada authorizes access to experimental HIV drugs, but only after a long struggle Question period: how will Canada’s new minority government approach HIV/AIDS? HIV-positive woman suing police, man who allegedly infected her and his family Medical marijuana users continue to experience legal … Read more