Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2005. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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United Press International - October 19, 2005
Many of the more than 5 million HIV-infected people in India have been unable to obtain treatment due to the high cost. But with the introduction of generic anti-retroviral therapy into India in 2000, the price of HIV drugs fell from $778 a month to $33 per month in 2003.
That sparked a rise in the number of people seeking and obtaining treatment. Researchers said in 1996, only 13 percent of Indian HIV patients were able to afford treatment. That number rose to 44 percent in 2003.
Despite the improvement offered by the ART drugs, they also caused some side effects, such as rash, nausea, diarrhea, headache and anemia. But patients apparently saw the benefits outweighed the toxicities, said lead author Dr. Nagalingeswaran Kumarasamy of the Y.R. Gaitonde Center for AIDS Research and Education in Chennai. He said with still yet lower prices expected comes further encouragement for Indian HIV patients to seek treatment.
The report is detailed in the Nov. 15 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, now available online.
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