Student Stop AIDS Campaign

The Student Stop AIDS Campaign is made up of young people who believe the world’s response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic is insufficient and unacceptable. They work to ensure there are zero new infections, zero discrimination, and zero AIDS related deaths.

Student Stop AIDS' University Societies across the country work to bring about change through raising awareness, political lobbying, public engagement and corporate action. They target those who have the power to make a difference, engage people and communities who can leverage change, and work for the adoption of innovative solutions. They confront governments, institutions and corporations to bring an end to the injustice surrounding HIV/AIDS by ensuring that they live up to the promise of delivering zero new infections, zero discrimination, and zero AIDS related deaths.

Key dates in the Stop AIDS calendar are World AIDS Day on 1 December each year, the Day of Action, the AGM and the annual speaker tour, where young HIV activists from around the world visit British universities to discuss the crisis.

Access to Treatment

In 2012 students are campaigning for better access to treatment through the use of the Medicines Patent Pool (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vj0dbFgjoh4). The Medicines Patent Pool was created in December 2009 by UNITAID in order to improve access to treatment for people living with HIV in the developing world. Companies can give their individual HIV patents to the pool, which then acts like a one stop patent shop. Other companies can access these patents in return for a fair royalty payment to the inventors. This means that many manufacturers can make and sell these drugs and this competition will drive prices down. Researchers can also access the patents, and can use them to create new, child friendly drugs. Finally, because all the patents are held in one place, it is much easier to create combination pills.

The Student Stop AIDS Campaign are pushing for pharmaceutical companies to put their patents in the Medicines Patent Pool. Currently the Student Stop AIDS Campaign are targeting Johnson & Johnson to encourage them to join the Medicines Patent Pool. Johnson & Johnson part own a crucial, lifesaving HIV/AIDS drug so it is crucial for them to join the Patent Pool. As the other half of the patent is already in the pool, they are effectively blocking cheaper production of this drug, which would save millions of lives.

Global Fund

Student campaigners work on the global campaign to ensure that the most effective multi-lateral institution in the global AIDS response, the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, is fully funded. The promise to deliver universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010 has not been delivered. There are still 9 million people in need of HIV treatment worldwide. The global recession has caused world leaders to back out of their commitments. Student campaigners work to ensure that the Government deliver on their promises by the Millennium Development Goal deadline of 2015 by ensuring that the response is fully funded.

Students also campaign on various other issues and campaigns surrounding HIV and AIDS such as The Robin Hood Tax, the EU-India Free Trade Agreement, prevention, sexual health and rights and prejudice and discrimination.

The SSAC is co-ordinated by Restless Development, a youth-based development organization, and is part of the larger Stop AIDS Campaign consortium.

External links

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