130. The representative of Uganda, supporting to the statement made by Rwanda on behalf of the African Group, referred to the call by the African Ministers to pay urgent attention to the amendment of the TRIPS Agreement to incorporate the Decision. His delegation remained open and committed to engage constructively in the discussion aimed at a compromise ensuring a lasting solution to the problem of public health. The submission of the African Group constituted a good basis for converting the Decision into an amendment of the Agreement. He called upon all Members to table their proposals and to engage in a constructive debate.
131. He welcomed initiatives undertaken by certain Members to transpose the Decision into national legislation, thus ensuring that generic drugs could be exported to developing countries. However, while the paragraph 6 mechanism would help, it would only solve part of the problem by making drugs available in poor countries, but it would not enable those countries to establish local manufacturing capacities. There had been recent examples in his own country, where some drugs used in the treatment of HIV/AIDS could not be produced locally and had not been available for some time so that patients had died. A lasting solution should aim at providing a predictable and stable supply of drugs.
