Poor countries to get cheap AIDS drugs

THE UN, former US President Bill Clinton, World Bank and the global fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria have set up a joint plan to buy and distribute cheap, generic AIDS drugs in poor countries.

In a clear jab at the US government, they said they had negotiated discounts of 50% or more on HIV diagnostic tests and on drugs whose safety has been questioned by the Bush administration.

"Simply put, the Clinton Foundation will negotiate the drug prices; UNICEF will employ its procurement capacity and the Global Fund and World Bank will provide the funding," said Stephen Lewis, United Nations special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa.