Bill Clinton's Next Fight: Malaria

NEW YORK — Former President Clinton's foundation has signed pricing agreements with several suppliers involved in making a malaria-fighting drug in an effort to stabilize the medication's fluctuating costs and ensure more dependable availability.

The former president in 2002 established an HIV/AIDS initiative that sought to negotiate lower prices for antiretroviral treatments, and he since has expanded his focus to include malaria treatments such as artemisinin-based combination therapies, or ACTs.

Artemisinin is an extract of the plant known as wormwood or sagewort. One of the factors making the price of artemisinin so volatile _ fluctuating from $155 to $1,100 per kilogram in recent years _ has been a wildly erratic cycle of shortage and excess of the extract, Clinton said Thursday at a news conference.

"Today the supply as well as the demand have led to these dramatic fluctuations in prices," Clinton said, holding up a green clipping of the plant. "Our goal, among other things, is to make sure that this little plant is available in sufficient supply, and that over time we can rationalize the prices."

The drug makers and the United Nations Special Envoy on Malaria joined Clinton for the announcement at his foundation's Manhattan headquarters.

Clinton said he has negotiated with six suppliers involved in producing ACTs that have agreed to certain price ceilings that the foundation says will help keep prices constant and not so dependent on the fluctuating cycles.

The agreements are with two suppliers at three levels of the supply chain _ raw material, processing and final formulation _ and the foundation hopes to add more suppliers.

"There's no question that we're talking about hundreds of thousands of lives being saved by making these drugs affordable," said malaria expert Dr. Christopher Plowe, a professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine who is not affiliated with the groups involved in the agreement.

About 500 million people are sickened each year by malaria, and more than 1 million die from the infectious disease, which is spread by mosquito bites. Symptoms include fever, chills, nausea and shortness of breath.

Besides benefiting from a more stable market, the suppliers that join the Clinton effort also get business and marketing assistance from the foundation.

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On the Net:

http://www.clintonfoundation.org

Comments

[debrouillard]

I was going to reply a few posting,however i realise that they all were one and the same thing.Sing praise to Bill Clinton.Theres nothing in this deal that suggest helping the poor.Since when did Bill Clinton helped the poor? NAFTA was all about taking away poor peoples Jobs.Now he is administering CAFTA.

In between i the lines of this particular deal says impoverish Africa.

[NABNYC]

This doesn't sound right to me. Price-fixing? Getting some poor African nations stuck at paying a set amount to the drug companies for a drug that comes from -- a tree? Did the drug companies file some patent claim (in the U.S.) and claim that they "owned" the extract because they "discovered" its healing properties? Drug and chemical companies are in the process of filing patent and trademark claims to every natural thing in the world, so if somebody wants a flower, for example, some U.S. corporation claims they're entitled to a licensing fee.

If Bill Clinton claims this foundation is legit, why are the donors a secret? Why not disclose that so people can determine what's really going ou with what has been estimated at $500 million given to Bill Clinton (parked in his "personal" charity foundation) for him to do with as he pleases. Much of it reported from middle eastern tyrants -- you know, the ones that we're fighting in all those wars.

Besides, who recalls Bill Clinton sending Al Gore to Africa in the late 1990s to threaten a boycott if some country over there didn't stop making aids drugs at affordable prices, trying to save people's lives, but in violation of some U.S. corporate trademark claim.

[genia]

This man was my idol...I thought he was all that and a bag of chips....poof......

anyway....I am happy to see him healthy and active and doing what he loves, helping the less fortunate.

However........first thing I though of ......how much is he making out of this deal?

[vsign]

Americans and most Democrats love you Bill. You are a big Boy Scout and a great President! You proved your manliness the way you supported Hillary. I love you for the way you believed in your wife!

Bring home the Nobel Peace Prize for America and mostly to show us how the rest of the world loves and respects you. The best and brightest are not fully recognized at home - only by others.

Keep the faith. We know you and you are the best of us.

[Marcee]

A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT SPIN ON FIGHTING MALARIA
I certainly can't fault Clinton whose intentions are sterling, but there is another school of thought that we Americans rarely hear about especially with the assortment of well intentioned Silicon Valley billionaires, ex-presidents, artistic geniuses, mad scientists, and movie stars who have descended on Africa in an effort to help.

Kenyan economist James Shikwati surprisingly asked rich nations, "for God's sake, please just stop giving Africa aid." 38 year old Shikwati thinks we continue the endless cycle of need and dependency by merely giving aid and ouside assistance. Shikwati wants the US to invest in helping create jobs, develop indigenous capacity, and build a sustainable future. Shikwati suggests in the fight against malaria we train locals how to operate a business spraying homes with an insecticide that will keep them mosquito-free for six months at about $2 a family. Some African economists maintain good-intentioned Americans can spend billions importing anti malarial medication, or we can invest in local farms that grow Artemisinin, the Chinese herb Clinton wants to import, that has potent anti-malarial properties. Some Africans propose benefactors help build local factories that process the locally grown Artemisinin and thereby build capacity, local entrepreneurship in Africans and not merely put money in the pockets of competing drug companies.

I don't know what the answer is, but it is something interesting to think about when we see the very depressing headlines detailing African war, poverty, and grief.

[seadickrun]

Considering some of the comments President Clinton made during Hillary's campaign and how much he helped her, I welcome his distance from this race. He has said he supports Obama and that is good enough. Has Al Gore done anything more?

[HumeSkeptic]

The cause is worthy. Gates' Foundation has been very active in this effort. It's hard to judge President Cl!nton's efforts without knowing details.

But, it's good to see him back doing worthwhile things. ;-)

[Seattlelite]

I applaud and commend Bill and I'm proud that we have a former President helping such causes in the world. Says allot about Bill as a person. But something also says allot about Bill, the fact he's not been able to put his disappointment behind him and publicially come out and endorse the nominee for the party he says he so dearly loves says he has some short comings as well I'm afraid.

[ebbtide]

Do we have a malaria problem in the US? Not that I do not want to see the entire world be on an agenda to improve their health problems., but where is Clinton, Bill that is, on the health problems of Americans? Obviously there is a serious problem here in the states, with the economy, health care, and the plight of the poorer and the less rich who will now struggle more under Bush with his sterling concern, his compassionate concern, for the mess he has created for the common man in this country. I say take care of America first, or at the least, mention that we here have NEEDS, crucial needs, and we pay taxes to fund the fight against maliaria?

[PumaAnn]

Bill isn't using your tax dollars. This is a global foundation, dedicated to problems that are killing humans.

It's his life's work and has been since he exited from being president.

[gotalife]

A great man.

Honor him.

[HumeSkeptic]

Honor is earned, not demanded.

[PumaAnn]

Please don't honor him. The fact that this "new" Democratic Party is so hate-filled toward a fellow Democrat is fuel for the fires of real change.

We need you.

Keep hating.

[ebanks84]

This man is just showing the world that he's a punk. He refuses to do the right things with Obama and knows he's giving the black supporters his butt to kiss. He could care less about how we felt when he was president and now when he's not. This just shows his true character.

[Trollstakeyourmeds]

How is that "unity" thing working for you?

[jalapeno]

This from the guy who let tainted blood be sold from the Arkansas State Prison in the 80's?

[HumeSkeptic]

Even if that were true, what could you possibly have against him working for a worthwhile cause?

What?

[pjfahey]

What is the statute of limitations on foolishness like this? Did Vince Foster sell this blood? Is this why he was murdered??? MOVE ON!!

[jsarets]

Nothing like a little image rehabilitation after a tough several months in the cable news freak-show we call electoral politics.

[PaulRaymond]

So what, if anything, will GW be doing to better humanity when he leaves office...aside from leaving office that is.

[UnknownSoldier]

He won't be able to leave the U.S. a War Crimes Warrant will probably be issued for his arrest. Our gov't wont comply with it, but every other gov't will have too. So basically we are stuck with this idiot, although if we impeach him and toss him out of office we can protect him from a War Crimes Tribunal.

[desertdweller]

Nobel Prize material???

[DaOne]

Malaria? Is she some Spanish girl?

Seriously doesn't gin and tonic cure malaria?

[nclayla]

You are probably trying to be funny - it isn't working!

[HumeSkeptic]

http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/impact/index.htm