The TAC will be holding protests today demanding more money from the
G7 and other wealthy countries for the Global Fund against AIDS, TB and
Malaria (GFATM).

Events will take place in Johannesburg and Durban.

Durban: Meet at City Hall at 11:30am. March to US Consulate (303 West
Street) starts at 12:30 Contact: Dee or Mandla - 031 304 3673

Johannesburg: Meet at 12:30 in front of US Consulate (1 River Street -
across the road from Killarney Mall) Contact: Sharon 083 634 8924 or
Nomsa 072 147 4014

BELOW IS THE MEMORANDUM TO BE HANDED TO THE US CONSULATE OFFICIALS

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Memorandum to the President of the United States of America 9th October
2002

PAY UP TO THE GLOBAL FUND FOR HIV/AIDS, TB AND MALARIA (GFATM) FUND
TREATMENT FOR HIV/AIDS IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD!

Dear President Bush

The TAC and our allies in the Pan-African Treatment Access Movement,
have declared today a Day of Action to call for financing of the Global
Fund against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM).

The TAC is here today to say to the industrialised countries of the
world, but especially the United States Government, that you have a duty
to substantially increase financing of the GFATM and to take concrete
actions to alleviate the Global HIV/AIDS epidemic.

In 2001, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan stated that $7-10 billion per
year was necessary for managing HIV/AIDS alone. But by July 2002, the
fund had raised approximately $2.1 billion, far short of the original
target. According to GFATM, the US has pledged only $500 million, a tiny
and insulting amount. We believe the failure of the USA to lead on this
issue threatens the future of the fund, and thereby the lives of millions
of poor people.

Your government has recognised that the HIV epidemic is a threat to
international security. 8,000 people die per day because of HIV/AIDS -
a disease that can be both prevented and treated. All preventable death
is tragic, but this number grotesquely overshadows the loss of life to
terrorism - and yet you are prepared to spend a limitless amount on the
war your government is threatening against Iraq.

HIV/AIDS is a threat to continued development and the rights to life and
dignity. The HIV epidemic exacerbates poverty, the breakdown of families
and social dysfunction. Unlike most other epidemics, it disproportionately
affects people in the most productive stages of their lives and deprives
poor countries of the essential human capital they have generated. The
health-care system of a relatively developed country, such as South Africa
is disintegrating and the health-care systems of many poorer countries
cannot develop because of the strain of the epidemic. However, although
HIV/AIDS confronts us with the worst epidemic in centuries, unlike most
past ones, the world today has the capital, institutions, communication
systems, skills, medicines and knowledge to substantially mitigate its
effects. What is required is the political will by all Governments, of
developed and developing countries, to ensure the essential resources
for alleviating the epidemic, especially medicines!  and the means to
distribute and monitor people using them, reach people living in poor
countries affected by the epidemic.

In particular the following urgent needs must be addressed, especially
by the G8 countries  and mostly the United States:

Funding of GFATM must be increased to $10 billion a year before the end
of 2002.

Political and material support must be given to the World Health
Organisation and UNAIDS to achieve their aim of treating 3 million people
in developing countries by 2005.

Pressure must be put by your governments on pharmaceutical companies
to issue non-exclusive voluntary licenses for the manufacture of
bioequivalent, high-quality generic essential medicines under patent on
a four or five percent royalty fee basis in developing countries. This
is the most sustainable way of ensuring that essential medicines will be
available to GFATM, public health sectors and private health consumers
at the most affordable price possible.

Achieving these goals will require multilateral action within the
framework of the world's international institutions. It concerns us that
the current US Government is proposing to protect its perceived short-term
security risks through unilateral military actions, instead of protecting
the world's real long-term security risks through investment in health
and development in poor regions.

It is by investing in development, not war, that the world can make
progress in the attainment of human rights, especially the rights to
life and dignity, economic prosperity and the evolution of successful,
sustainable democratic institutions.

We hope that you will listen to our requests, because the lives of
millions will be determined by your response. We request a reply to this
Memorandum by 31 October 2002.

Signed:

Pholokgolo Ramothwala                    Zackie Achmat TAC Gauteng
Coordinator                    TAC Chairperson

Mandla Majola TAC KZN Coordinator