Assessing the Contributions of the EC at the WTO in Facilitating Access to Affordable Medicines in Africa

The Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is one of the most compelling public health crises of modern times and the long-term evolution of the epidemic remains uncertain. This is because there is no cure for the malady. Many people are living with HIV/AIDS. At the end of 2007, they were estimated at 33.2 million. The number of people with HIV has continued to rise with Africa remaining the global epicentre. Vulnerable groups have been hardest hit by the epidemic. 75 per cent of young women aged between 15-24 years live with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa and this trend is on the rise in other regions where females represent an increasing proportion of people with HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS related diseases account for 500 million or more illnesses and 6 million deaths every year.