Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2003. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
 |
New Vision (Kampala) - October 29, 2003
Anne Mugisa
Muhwezi said bidders for supply of ARVs quoted very low prices, with one quoting less than half a dollar per daily dose.
He did not name the companies, but the bids were opened on Monday last week. Muhwezi was speaking on Monday when he met UNAIDS' Ben Plumley at the ministry headquarters.
The UNDP Resident Representative D. Toure and the UNAIDS country coordinator Ruben del Prado accompanied Plumely.
Muhwezi said President Yoweri Museveni had negotiated with pharmaceuticals to lower the cost of anti-retrovirals.
He said Museveni and former South African President Nelson Mandela had lobbied former US President Bill Clinton to have the cost lowered by 100%.
He said that the negotiations with Clinton yielded results and now several countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean will benefit from the low prices.
The first countries to benefit, according to Muhwezi, include South Africa, Mozambique, Burundi and Rwanda.
Plumely said people living with HIV/AIDS should be involved in anti-AIDS campaigns.
He also said that countries and communities should promote food security in the fight against the pandemic.
Plumely said it was not yet possible for all infected people to access free an--retrovirals.
He, however, said the United Nations was opposed to mandatory HIV testing on people seeking employment.
He said people should instead be encouraged to take voluntary tests after which steps could be taken to preserve those whose health is at risk.
031029
NV031018
Copyright © 2003 - The New Vision. All articles are republished on AEGIS by permission. Material may not be redistributed, posted to any other location, published or used for broadcast without written authorization from Managing Director/Editor-in-chief, The New Vision, P.O. Box 9815, Kampala - Uganda, Tel/fax: 256-41-235221, E-mail: wpike@newvision.co.ug.
AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted grants from Boehringer Ingelheim, Elton John AIDS Foundation, iMetrikus, Inc., John M. Lloyd Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, and donations from users like you. Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2003. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2003. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .