SF has run a HIV/AIDS project in the capital over the last years. Present since 2001 in the Kabinda centre, MSF has treated almost 7000 people living with Hiv. In October 2003, MSF put its first patient under ARV treatment. Since that date, more than 2600 patients have been put on ARV treatment. Today, more than 2000 patients are enrolled and 1800 receive ARVs, 2009.
Photograph by Jorge Dirkx

Brazil is one of many governments working to strike a balance between public and private interests in determining how medical innovation is conducted and incentivised – and how medical products and technologies can be made accessible for the benefit of public health.

At this point, several bills and recommendations have been tabled in the Brazilian Congress.

Approval of these would both insure the patent law is better suited to answer public health needs, and enable Brazil to play a leading global role in addressing the fundamental flaws in medical research.

The time to act is now.