The World Health Organization (WHO) and Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) estimate that in 2001 about 3 million people died from AIDS with the vast majority of these deaths occurring in developing countries. While the availability of antiretroviral (ARV) therapy has significantly reduced AIDS morbidity and mortality in the industrialized world in developing countries where 95% of HIVpositive people live the overwhelming majority of HIV-positive people do not have access to these life-sustaining medications. WHO conservatively estimates that in 2002 around 6 million people in developing countries are in need of ARV therapy. Yet only about 230000 people living with HIV in those countries have such access today. Half of these live in one country Brazil. Access to medicines is dependent on their rational selection and use the availability of financial resources the strength of the health infrastructure and their affordability. As the high cost of medicines is a major factor limiting access to ARVs in developing countries in May 2000 five UN organizations (the United Nations Population Fund [UNFPA] United Nations Children’s Fund [UNICEF] World Health Organization [WHO] World Bank and UNAIDS Secretariat) entered into a partnership offered by five pharmaceutical companies (Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH; Bristol-Myers Squibb; GlaxoSmithKline; Merck & Co. Inc.; and F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. – later joined by Abbott Laboratories) to address the lack of affordability of HIV medicines and to work together to increase access to HIV/AIDS care and treatment in developing countries. (excerpt)