November 20, 2002. Health GAP and ACT-UP Paris. U.S.-sponsored meeting could jeopardize access to medicines: Advocates join Nigerian organizations in call for greater involvement of public health experts, consumers, people living with HIV/AIDS in writing crucial intellectual property bill

November 17, 2002. Treatment Access Movement. Upcoming Meeting in Abuja Threatens Survival of People Living With HIV/AIDS, Advocates Warn.

Pilot Antiretroviral Program

After a series of delays, Nigeria has begun its pilot antiretroviral program. It was meant to be the largest program in Africa, involving 10,000 patients (this is less of one percent of Nigeria's HIV+ population). Currently, the government has enough drugs onhand to treat 8,000 patients. The program was originally announced in April, 2001, after Cipla agreed to sell the government its triple therapy for $350 per patient per year. There were problems implementing the program, so it was postponed. Under the program, the government plans to subsidise treatment costs by up to 80%, leaving patients with a monthly bill of approximately USD 8. In April, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS Tuberculosis and Malaria donated $41.7 million to the program.

• February 17, 2004. Reuters. Nigeria Orders $4 Mln of AIDS Drugs to End Shortage.
• January 6, 2004. Olayide Akanni. Action Alert newsletter. Saving the ARV Program.
• December 1, 2003. John Donnelly for the Boston Globe. HIV fight comes up short in Nigeria: Drugs running out at public clinics.
• July 23, 2002. Olayide Akanni for Access Alert. Nigeria's ARV programme picks up speed.
• May 27, 2002. Abiodun Raufu for Gemini News Service. Low Turnout for Cheaper HIV/AIDS Drugs in Nigeria Causes Concern.
• April 29, 2002. Olayide Akanni for the Nigeria-AIDS eForum. Nigeria receives $70m from Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS.
• March/April, 2002. Olayide Akanni for the Access Alert Newsletter. Problems dog Nigeria's ARV programme.
• February 25, 2002. Ben Ukwuoma and Chukwuma Muanya For the Nigerian Guardian. Hope dims on HIV drug programme.
• January 4, 2002. Penny Dale for OneWorld Africa. Cheaper Aids Drugs Lift Hopes in Nigeria.
• December 20, 2001. Ranbaxy press release. Ranbaxy Signs Agreement With the Govt. of Nigeria to Supply AIDS Drugs.
• December 13, 2001. Reuters. Firm Offers Cheap Drug for AIDS-Related Infections.
• December 11, 2001. Chris McGreal for the Guardian. Defiant Nigeria to import cheap copies of HIV drugs.
• December 10, 2001 Glenn McKenzie for the Associated Press. Nigerian AIDS Drug Trial Delayed.
• December 2, 2001. Agence France Press. Nigeria defends India's generic AIDS drugs.
• September 12, 2001. UN Integrated Regional Information Service. Nigeria Begins AIDS Drug Program, Adfter Delay.
• September 7, 2001. Associated Pres. No Drugs for Africa's Largest AIDS Programme.
• August 1, 2001. UN Integrated Regional Information Network. Nigeria to Launch Largest AIDS Programme in Africa
• July 31, 2001. Edith Lederer for the Associated Press. Nigeria Launching Largest AIDS Program.
• April 26, 2001. John Donelly for the Boston Globe. Nigeria reaches deal with Indian firm to buy AIDS drugs.

Other Documents

• November 26, 2002. Olayide Akanni. Journalists Against AIDS. IP bill: Advocates win provisions for public health.
• November 25, 2002. Letter from Sean Flynn (CPTech) and Asia Russell (Health GAP) to Nnamdi Ezera on the draft legislation for thenew IP bill.

• March 20, 2002. Editorial in This Day. Burden of Managing Healthcare.

• November 30, 2001. Reuters. Nigeria Has 8.7% of World AIDS Cases - Officials.

• October 5, 2001. Coalition of Civil Society Groups on Access to Essential Medicines.

• October 7, 2001. Report on Meeting of Journalists Against AIDS.

• October 4, 2001. MSF Press Release by Sally Hargreaves. MSF launches HIV/AIDS project in Nigeria.

• April 26-27, 2001. African leaders hold a summit in Abuja, Nigeria, in hopes of develping a coordinated plan for attacking HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases. UN Secretary General Kofi Anan called for the creation of a global fund to raise US $7-10 billion annually, which would be spent on both prevention and treatment, "including the production and importation of 'generic' drugs under licence, within the terms of international trade agreements." See the CPT page on the African Summit on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Other Infectious Diseases.