Three percent of African AIDS patients have access to antiretrovirals

DAKAR (AFP) Mar 31, 2004
Only three percent of the 3.9 million AIDS patients in Africa who could benefit from antiretroviral drugs have access to them, delegates at a forum were told here Wednesday.

Only 150,000 HIV and AIDS patients around the continent benefit from antiretroviral drugs, according to a study conducted by the Accelerating Access Initiative (AAI), a partnership between the United Nations and six pharmaceutical laboratories.

According to Senegal's Health Minister Issa Mbaye Samb, the price of antiretrovirals has diminished "on average by 85 percent in the past few years," making the drugs more accessible.

Another change on the African health map easing access to antiretrovirals is the fact that 40 sub-Saharan African countries now have national strategies to fight HIV/AIDS.

But despite the changes, the number of HIV-positive sub-Saharan Africans with access to antiretrovirals remains minuscule.

"People said it was too expensive, too complex so it was difficult to install in these countries," said Joep Lange, head of the group Pharm Access International.

"In a lot of African countries, governments are not functional and very poor, so how could you expect something to work?" he asked.

Delegates from 19 countries in Africa, the Americas and Europe took part in the forum, which ended Wednesday.

TERRA.WIRE