AIDSWEEKLY Plus; August 12, 2002
Staff Medical Writer

But there are also wide differences between the countries surveyedwith some countries paying up to 10 times more for the same treatmentthe survey revealed. Antiretroviral drugs have been shown to improve health statusproductivity and quality and length of life of people living with HIV/AIDS.

The PAHO survey compared the prices of drugs purchased in May 2001 and May 2002 by the ministries of health of 14 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. To calculate the annual cost of treating a person living with AIDSPAHO selected two of the most common combinations of antiretroviral therapies. On average the reductions for 3TC/ZDV+NVP were 25% (from $3701 to $2746). For 3TC/ZDV+EFV the prices decreased 54% (from $5506 to $2499).

These prices do not reflect further reductions that some countries were able to negotiate with the companies since then. According to information received by PAHO after the surveyin some Caribbean and Central American countries the cost to provide drugs to AIDS patients is now around $1100 per year. The Caribbean has the second highest prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS in the worldafter sub-Saharan Africa.

Until nownegotiations were carried out on a country-by-country basis and some governments were more successful in obtaining antiretroviral price reductions than others. In Haitifor instancethe cost of 3TC/ZDV+EFV dropped from $21,489 to $1606 in the period surveyed. Another country that managed to reduce prices significantly was Brazilwhere the cost of 3TC/ZDV+NVP fell from $1408 to $635the lowest in the region of the Americas. For the same combinationhoweversome countries were paying more than $6000.

Under the framework of the WHO/UNAIDS Accelerated Access InitiativePAHO is supporting countries in the region in their efforts to increase access to comprehensive HIV care and supportincluding antiretroviral medicines.

As drug prices drop and health systems improvesignificant progress is being made in these areas. Even with greatly reduced drug priceshowevermany countries cannot afford to provide antiretroviral drugs to all those in need. It is estimated that at least 475,000 people need antiretroviral treatment in Latin America and the Caribbean(25% of the 1.9 million people living with HIV/AIDS in the region)but only 170,000 currently have access to the drugsthe majority of them in Brazil.

The world AIDS epidemic "has reached alarming proportions," according to Dr. George Alleynedirector of PAHO. "In the Region of the Americas1 in every 200 persons between 15 and 49 years of age is HIV-infected. In the Caribbean1 in every 50 people has the infectionand it is clear that the incidence of HIV among men continues to increase worldwide."

This article was prepared by AIDS Weekly editors from staff and other reports.

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