Nairobi, Kenya, 07/27 - Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has called for urgent action to ensure a continuous supply of affordable HIV/AIDS medicines to those who need them.

The international medical aid agency said this in its recommendations at the ongoing Third International AIDS Society conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

MSF, which is known for its activist approach on HIV/AIDS Drugs issues, affirmed that some first-line antiretrovirals (ARVs) were still unaffordable in many countries.

"Treating children can cost four times more than treating adults, and newer, second-generation Aids medicines are up to 12 times more expensive than older drugs.

"The current system of Aids drug pricing is clearly failing patients in developing countries," the agency said it a media communiqué issued simultaneously in Rio de Janeiro and its Nairobi office Tuesday.

MSF called on governments to use all means at their disposal to decrease the prices of life-prolonging treatments for the poor.

"It was generic production that brought down the prices of AIDS drugs from over US$10,000 to as little as US$150 per patient per year," said Ellen `t Hoen, director of policy advocacy with MSF`s Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines programme, in Rio de Janeiro.

The agency argued that successful national AIDS programmes in Brazil and Thailand were possible because key pharmaceuticals were not patent protected and could be produced locally at much lower costs.

Local production in India, Thailand and Brazil had effects far beyond the borders of those three countries, it added.

"But after hard-fought progress, we are now seeing the "second wave" of the AIDS drug pricing crisis. The prospects of competition are diminishing because of patent rules," `t Hoen said.

She added: "We need bold action from governments such as Brazil, who have the capacity to produce essential medicines at affordable prices. Compulsory licensing offers a perfectly legal solution for countries to protect public health- it enables local production and reduces drug prices in a sustainable way."

She said this was particularly important as originator companies had shown very little willingness to further lower the prices of their AIDS drugs in developing countries despite requests by international organisations such as UNAIDS and the World Health Organisation.