Panafrican News Agency - December 12, 2001
The decrease, which reaches 67 percent on some generic products, will be financed from the government budget and international aid, sources close to the Cameroonian health ministry said in Yaounde.
In an interview with the bilingual government daily, Cameroon Tribune, Health Minister Urbain Olanguena Awono announced the results of a field survey which showed exorbitant profits made by intermediate distribution institutions.
"Before the new pricing, some provincial drug supply centres and even hospitals were raising prices to mesmerising heights, sometimes by 1,000 percent, compared to the prices at which the National Drug Purchasing House (CENAME) sold the products," he said.
The situation raised concern among national and international partners, the minister said, adding that, regarding anti-retrovirals, a convention was signed with CIPLA firm, under which a triple therapy protocol will cost 21,840 CFAF per patient per month.
"We will go even further in the next few weeks, as we will negotiate with another firm for access to retrovirals at 360 dollars per patient per year," the minister explained.
He also noted that the government has decided to provide free prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS.
The health ministry recently harmonised prices of HIV tests and treatment of opportunistic infections across the country. They now cost 1,000 and 5,000 CFAF respectively in the 18 approved AIDS control centres.
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