AIDS activists disrupted Vice President Al Gore's announcement of his presidential candidacy today on the steps of the Smith County Courthouse. 15 protestors blew air horns and chanted "Gore is killing Africans-AIDS drugs now" at the moment of Gore's announcement, calling attention to the pivotal role the Vice President has played in preventing HIV positive South Africans from obtaining the drugs they need to survive.

Gore has been widely criticized for his central role in promoting controversial US trade policy on South African and other developing nations. AIDS activists and trade experts charge Gore with prioritizing the profit motives of the pharmaceutical industry above the needs of 22.5 million people living with AIDS in Africa, virtually all of whom have no access to affordable medications.

"Al Gore's devout loyalty to the drug industry is literally costing millions of lives," said Emily Winkelstein from AIDS Drugs for Africa, the grassroots activist group that organized today's event.

Most people with AIDS in developing nations die of treatable, preventable infections such as tuberculosis and pneumonia, because medications are priced out of their reach, and out of the reach of their domestic governments. The average annual income in South African is US $2600, while an estimated cost of one month's supply of AIDS drugs is US $1000.

South Africa and other developing countries have sought tools to respond to the crisis in medication access, including "compulsory licensing"-the granting of local licenses to produce generic equivalents of patented medications when the public health is threatened by lack of medication access. This practice could lower drug prices as much as 90%. Compulsory licensing is legal under the terms and conditions of current international trade agreements, and includes provisions for royalties for the patent holder.

Gore has publicly threatened severe trade sanctions against South Africa in response to the governments' efforts to enact a domestic law to allow production of essential AIDS drugs through compulsory licensing.

"At the expense of human life, Gore is protecting the multi-billion dollar drug industry he and his presidential campaign hope to benefit from. His actions against South Africa are morally reprehensible," said Sharonann Lynch, an activist who confronted Gore today. "I am outraged that Gore is siding with the drug companies on an issue, where the moral imperative is clear: South Africans must be allowed to take the necessary steps to address the AIDS crisis in their nation." 20-26% of young adults are infected with HIV in most of southern Africa. In the South African military, 45% of ranks are living with HIV or AIDS.

"Gore has said that the international AIDS pandemic must be a top priority for developing nations as the Chair of the South African Bi-national Commission," said Anna Kramarsky, also of AIDS Drugs for Africa." And all the while he has been using his position to bully South African Deputy President Thabo Mbeki, threatening trade sanctions if the South African government dares respond to the needs of its millions of dying citizens."

"Developing nations are being faced with an unprecedented health emergency, and they must be allowed to use the range of tools available to them, including compulsory licensing of necessary drugs," said Mark Milano from AIDS Drugs for Africa.

"I am outraged that Gore is using his clout as the Vice President to squelch the life-saving efforts of the South African government," said Mel Stevens. "We will follow Gore every step of his campaign, until he stops doing the dirty work of the drug companies for them."

Contact: Asia Russell: 215-731-1844 x 8, pager: 215-838-2355 Cartharge, TN--Wednesday, June 16

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