Developing countries, poverty diseases: combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis

PURPOSE : to propose a Regulation to implement the Action Programme for HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. CONTENT : this Regulation repeals Council Regulation 97/550/EC. The purpose of activities carried out under the Regulation will be to: - optimise the impact of existing interventions; - increase the affordability of key pharmaceuticals; - increase research and development, including vaccines, microbicides and innovative treatments. Community financial support will be given to specific projects designed to further these objectives. Such projects include those which, inter alia: - improve pharmaceutical policies and practice, and help developing countries to develop local production of off-patent and/or licensed key pharmaceuticals; - promote global tiered pricing for key pharmaceuticals in developing countries; - analyse the effect of factors, such as the level of net import price, tariffs, taxes, and importation, distribution and local registration fees, on consumer process of medical goods in developing countries; - provide technical assistance to developing countries to help them address public health issues in accordance with the provisions of the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) as clarified by the Doha Declaration. Community financial support may take the form of: - financial assistance; - technical assistance, training or other services; - supplies, such as medical supplies and commodities, and works; -audits and evaluation and monitoring missions. Priority will be given to enhancing national capacity with a view to long-term viability. Financing will take the form of grants. Contractors from all the developing countries as well as Member States will be allowed to bid for the procurement of services and products.This may be extended, in exceptional cases, to other third countries.�