United Nations' HIV/AIDS envoy, Stephen Lewis, makes an impassioned plea for world public opinion to focus on the AIDS crisis in Africa.
30 million Africans have HIV/AIDS. In the summer of 2003, two years after the release of his award-winning AIDS documentary RACE AGAINST TIME, United Nations' HIV/AIDS envoy Stephen Lewis returns to Africa and documents his incredible personal journey that has led from hope to despair to hope again.
After September 11, when the world's attention turned to homeland security and fighting terrorism, the promises of financial aid to Africa lay broken. Africa, with more than 6,000 people dying every day and 11 million orphans under the age of 15, was a continent enveloped by death. Lewis was convinced that all that was needed was determination and financial resources. The most urgent need was for life-prolonging anti-retroviral drugs for the dying. In Africa these drugs are available to only 75,000 of the four million people who need them.
In 2003 the momentum is finally reignited. Endless disputes concerning generics and the patents held by big pharmaceutical companies have been settled. The World Health Organization has pledged to have three million people on anti- AIDS drugs by 2005. That will amount to a staggering six million pills every day. It is the sheer volume of drugs needed that has led Lewis, along with a handful of Canadian aid agencies, to challenge the Canadian government to pass legislation allowing patents to be circumvented in favor of inexpensive, generic AIDS drugs. If the bill were to pass, it would make history.
Awards
~ UN Department of Public Information Silver Award, The New York Festivals
~ The Chris Statuette, Columbus International Film & Video Festival
~ Freddie Award, International Health & Medical Media Awards
~ CBC Wilderness Award (Best CBC- Produced Documentary of the Year)
~ Best of Festival Award, Western Psychological Association Film Festival
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