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Assembled at the University of Pennsylvania on January 25, 2002 to explore workable strategies to confront the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa, we, health care and public health professionals, faculty members and students, business and civil society, human rights and AIDS advocacy groups, community activists, and concerned citizens,

REAFFIRM that all people have the right to the highest attainable standard of health as a prerequisite for the full enjoyment of all other human rights;

RECOGNIZE that the achievement of health depends on the full realization of social, economic, political, cultural, and civil rights;

NOTE that the AIDS pandemic is a worldwide health crisis with an estimated 65 million people now living with HIV/AIDS, 15.000 new infections each day, almost all (95%) in the world�s poorest nations, 22 million people already dead from the disease, and 13 million children orphaned by AIDS.�

HEREBY DECLARE:

ARTICLE 1

The HIV/AIDS pandemic is one of the most formidable public health crises of our time and is both instrumental to and a product of human rights violations that requires not only immediate large-scale prevention and treatment action, but also implementation of the right to health and respect for the human rights of people living with HIV/AIDS.

ARTICLE 2

Nations of the world have the resource capacity to assist resource-poor nations in HIV prevention and treatment, and to provide life-saving drugs to people living with AIDS, regardless of their social, economic, cultural, and educational condition. HIV prevention and treatment must not be limited to the provision of antiretroviral treatment, and must also include preventative Tuberculosis therapy, adequate nutrition, clean water and decent housing.�

ARTICLE 3

Nations have an obligation to support and promote the work of responsible and qualified non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that work to prevent and contain HIV infection and to provide treatment.�

ARTICLE 4

Everyone directly or indirectly affected by HIV/AIDS is entitled to assistance, protection, respect, and dignity. This includes all children, whether orphaned by AIDS or born with HIV infection, having the same rights and dignity.

ARTICLE 5

1. Nations and multinational pharmaceutical corporations have an obligation to help contain the epidemic and to find ways to make their life saving and life prolonging drugs accessible and affordable to resource-poor countries for as long as the HIV/AIDS pandemic continues. Specifically, drug treatment that can prevent HIV transmission from mother-to-child must be provided to pregnant women and their infants;

2. Nations have the right to grant compulsory license for essential drugs�and the freedom to determine the grounds upon which such licenses are granted;

3. Nations have the right to determine what constitutes a national health emergency and to employ realistic measures, including parallel importing of generic drugs regardless of patents, to protect public health in an epidemic such HIV/AIDS in Africa.

WE COMMIT OURSELVES TO THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS:

1. To support the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and the financial goal of annual contribution commensurate with the size and wealth of the United States, i.e. 2.5 billion per year until the pandemic is contained.

2. To encourage businesses, foundations, private and public programs and the philanthropic community to commit to major funding increases in bilateral and multinational assistance for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, medical infrastructure, sanitation facilities, clean water supplies, roads, housing, hospitals, and community health centers in Africa;

3. To support the rights and dignity of all people living with HIV/AIDS, including ending discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS, promoting women and children�s rights, assuring privacy and equity in access to treatment and prevention programs;

4. To establish a network of trusted partners, including NGOs, voluntary service and religious organizations, traditional healers, community representatives, people living with HIV/AIDS and their families and share information and experiences in implementing the commitments contained in this Declaration.

5. To bring attention in public forums, international meetings and conferences to the actions of any nation, government, national and multinational corporation or group that violates the principles set forth in this Declaration.

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Please return a copy with signature:

Philadelphia Declaration

Attn: Evelyne Shuster, PhD

Veterans Affairs Medical Center University and Woodland Avenue

Philadelphia PA 19104

For more information and comments on this Declaration contact:

[email protected]