ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the campaign undertaken by national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs and INGOs) to reduce the price of HIV/AIDS drugs in developing countries and thereby increase access to treatment. After providing background information on the issue, the chapter highlights the cases of South Africa and Brazil, where there have been legal disputes about the price of HIV/AIDS treatment but where the governments have adopted very different approaches to improving access. Although the issues of local production of medicines and patent protection have also arisen in countries such as Thailand and India, this chapter focuses on the cases of Brazil and South Africa because they offer an interesting contrast in the position of the government and the role of civil society organizations (CSOs). The chapter then discusses various aspects of the NGO campaign and concludes with a brief outline of the future plans of the NGOs.
