New York Times Reports on Zimbabwe’s Declaration of National Emergency to ‘Sidestep’ Patents on HIV Treatments

The New York Times on Saturday reported on Zimbabwe's recent move to declare the country's HIV epidemic a national emergency, thus allowing the government to "sidestep" patents on antiretroviral drugs and import cheaper generic treatments. Advocates and experts say that Zimbabwe is the first country to utilize international trade regulations allowing this practice, but the advocates hope that the move will "encourage other poor countries to follow suit," especially among African nations with high rates of HIV infection (Cauvin, New York Times, 6/1). The full article is available online.