Pfizer announces AIDS expertise programme

Following its efforts to increase donations of free medicines and other forms of AIDS relief to some of the world's poorest countries, Pfizer is establishing the Pfizer Health Fellows Programme to provide human resources needed to combat HIV/AIDS in Africa and other hard hit areas. The Health Fellows will be selected from Pfizer employees in a variety of fields who volunteer to be assigned to underserved areas. Pfizer will cover all costs associated with paying and transferring the staff into areas hardest hit by AIDS crisis.

'The best way forward in combating AIDS is through public-private partnerships,' said Pfizer chairman and ceo Hank McKinnell.

Pfizer, in partnership with the South African government, has dispensed more than 2m free doses of the antifungal Diflucan used to treat AIDS-related infections. The company has also imposed a two-year moratorium on any price increases to the company's protease inhibitor Viracept.

'As an industry, we can afford to provide HIV medicines at no cost to the poorest patients only because of our business success in open and competitive markets,' McKinnell said. He urged European and other nations to reduce government regulations and work toward responsible pricing.