But even if lowered to the bare cost of their production, the price of AIDS drugs would remain too expensive for impoverished countries to afford.
One major obstacle, Sachs said, stems from the U.S. government's attitude toward Africa that began in the Reagan era and continued through the Bush and Clinton administrations: "When it comes to money, 'You're on your own. And by the way, pay us back.'"
Sach's effort to extend the issue of the AIDS crisis in Africa to incorporate poverty and disease across the globe fits into the larger goals of the "AIDS in Africa" series.
The aim of the program, said event coordinator Camilla M. Catenza, is not merely to rely upon AIDS experts. Rather, it is to approach the AIDS problem from a variety of angles.
"We can all look at this puzzle, but sometimes it takes someone new," Catenza said.
Sach's tool for the evening was his understanding of the economic implications of the health crisis. "We're not going to solve the problem until someone is ready to help pay the bill," he said.
Future speakers include CBS executive David Gelber and journalist Charlene Hunter-Gault.