Emily's Worldview

It was just two years ago that President Bush launched his initiative to fight global AIDS. To noone's surprise there were strings attached. The money, instead of going to buy medicines for the greatest possible number of people, would have to flow back to the most profitable industry in the world; pharmaceutical corporations. Today, the government announced that it had approved the generic version of a second antiretroviral for use overseas. But not in the States, where the cost of HIV medicines can overwhelm people who are uninsured and struggling with their health. Why are we playing games with patronage while thousands of people are dying every day?