India calls for dismantling trade, IPR barriers to quality drugs

India has called for proactive and collective action by the international community to dismantle trade and IPR barriers that deny poor people access to quality medicines.

Trade and intellectual property right barriers are standing in the way of improving the availability of accessible, affordable and quality medicines for the needy and impoverished, India's health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad told a high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly today.

The minister underscored India's efforts on prevention, treatment, care and support of those affected by HIV and AIDS. India, he said, has been able to contain the epidemic with a prevalence of 0.31 per cent. We have also brought about a decline of 50 per cent in new infections annually.

Over the last decade, there is evidence of stabilisation of the epidemic and even in reversal in some parts of the country. This has been achieved by focusing on high-risk groups, expanding services and improving access to anti retroviral therapy, he said.

Universal access to second line anti retroviral therapy (ART) and early infant diagnosis are in an advanced stage of being rolled out, he added.

The international community should vigorously scale up actions to provide resources in the global effort to combat HIV and AIDS, Azad said while highlighted the active role of Indian pharmaceutical companies in providing high quality, affordable, generic drugs all over the world.