SECURE THE FUTURE™, Compaq Computer Corporation and International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care (IAPAC) Partner to Address Inequities in Access to Health Information Affecting Thousands of People Living With HIV/AIDS in Five Southern African Countries.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS (May 16, 2000) -- In a major step to provide HIV/AIDS-treating physicians in five southern African nations with access to Internet-based health information and cutting-edge distance learning capabilities, the International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care (IAPAC) is launching I-Med Exchange -- a bi-directional medical education program. An estimated 25 percent of the population in Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland is HIV-positive, according to the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, making this one of the regions in the world most affected by the disease.

"IAPAC, through a unique partnership with SECURE THE FUTURE™ and Compaq, is launching I-Med Exchange to address the severe inequities in electronic access to critical health information and support that have spawned a world of haves and have nots among physicians and patients struggling with the epidemic in developing nations and the rest of the world," said Jos˜ M. Zuniga, president/CEO, IAPAC.

I-Med Exchange will provide computer equipment, software, training, Internet access, and e-mail capabilities to participating physicians in the five southern African countries. This initiative is supported by a $389,000 grant from SECURE THE FUTURE, Bristol-Myers Squibb�s HIV/AIDS medical and educational philanthropic effort in these five countries, and Compaq Computer Corporation who will provide all the computers and peripheral equipment.

"The I-Med Exchange program is a pioneering step in dramatically expanding access to knowledge for the care and support of HIV/AIDS patients in sub-Saharan Africa. This model initiative is an opportunity to bring the benefits of modern medicine and technology to the people of the developing world to improve public health and accelerate economic development," said Kenneth E. Weg, vice chairman, Bristol-Myers Squibb.

"Technology has made an impact around the globe and with this partnership, Compaq hopes the combination of technology and the power of the Internet can bring much needed information and access to the HIV/AIDS crisis in Southern Africa," said Michael Capellas, Compaq president and chief executive officer.

A critical component of I-Med Exchange is an HIV/AIDS educational curriculum to be delivered through a series of Web conferences for participating physicians. These conferences will allow for interactive discussions, virtual lectures and the sharing of documents and medical applications. An international multidisciplinary team of HIV/AIDS experts is developing the curriculum. I-Med Exchange will also partner physicians in the five nations with physicians from other parts of the world to allow for continued exchange of information and ideas.

I-Med Exchange will begin as a pilot program in three of the participating countries this spring. Specifically, the pilot sites will be located in the Gauteng and Western Cape provinces of South Africa, the cities of Manzini and Mbabane in Swaziland, and in Gaborone and Francistown in Botswana. The I-Med Exchange pilot will provide on-the-ground experience and, as necessary, opportunities to make adjustments to the program. A complete rollout of the program to approximately 100 sites throughout all five participating countries is planned for July 2000. Peter Navario, who recently joined IAPAC from his former position with the Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trials Group (PACTG), will implement the program.

The idea for I-Med Exchange evolved from IAPAC�s observation of an innovative, ongoing collaboration via the Internet between two of its physician members, Rodica Matusa, M.D., director of a pediatric AIDS clinic in Constanta, Romania, and pediatric HIV specialist Mark Kline, M.D., professor of pediatrics at the Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children�s Hospital.

Begun in 1996, the provision of a computer and Internet access for the Romanian clinic has enabled Matusa to access information on the World Wide Web and to confer with Kline for second opinions on MRI results, diagnoses, and treatment regimens. In turn, Kline remains current on the issues surrounding HIV/AIDS and its manifestations in Romania. This collaboration has generated co-publication of papers and reports that may impact the treatment of children with HIV/AIDS worldwide.

Background:

SECURE THE FUTURE funds medical research, community outreach programs, and capacity-building education initiatives though a $100 million commitment from Bristol-Myers Squibb to aid women and children with HIV/AIDS in Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland. SECURE THE FUTURE also encourages and funds capacity-building educational programs in medicine, health care and public health. Bristol-Myers Squibb Company is a $20 billion diversified, global health and personal care company whose mission is to extend and enhance human life.

The International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care (IAPAC) represents more than 6,800 physicians and other health care professionals in 43 countries. IAPAC�s mission is to craft and implement global educational and advocacy strategies to better the quality of care provided to all people living with HIV/AIDS and other coinfectious diseases. More information on IAPAC can be found at www.iapac.org.

Compaq Computer Corporation, a Fortune Global 100 company, is the largest supplier of computing systems in the world. Compaq designs, develops, manufactures and markets hardware, software, solutions, and services, including industry-leading enterprise computing solutions, fault-tolerant business-critical solutions, and communications products, commercial desktop and portable products, and consumer PCs. Compaq products and services are sold in more than 200 countries directly to businesses, through a network of authorized Compaq marketing partners, and directly to businesses and consumers through Compaq's e-commerce Web site at http://www.compaq.com.org.

Visit Bristol-Myers Squibb at www.bms.com.

For more information, contact: Peter Navario for IAPAC, 312-795-4941; Laurie Miller for SECURE THE FUTURE, 212-601-8359; COMPAQ º Grace Trent for COMPAQ, 281-518-9460