AIDS commission seeks cheaper drugs
The National Aids Commission and the Ministry of Health met today to see how they can make available anti-retroviral drugs and essential medication to people who are living with HIV and AIDS. The drugs and treatment, which can cost as much as three thousand dollars per month, are out of the reach of most Belizeans. However, steps are being made to see how they can become more accessible, through offers being made by world-wide health organisations. Martha Carillo is the co-ordinator of the National Aids Commission.
Martha Carillo, Co-ordinator, Nat’l AIDS Commission
“We know for a fact that offers are being made to the region, offers are being made to Belize, whereby prices of medication that was once not affordable, is becoming very affordable. We’re very fortunate that we have with us Dr. Arriaga, who has been in contact with these people, and he will be doing a presentation looking at how the prices are falling and how the commission as a body could advocate for anti-retrovirals to be provided for people living with HIV and AIDS. We know that even though the prices are falling, we have to be realistic too that it’s still costly. And as a commission we want to explore all possible financial avenues to see how we could provide these medications to the health system.”
Dr. Pedro Arriaga, Internist, K.H.M.H.
“In the past year we’re had a lot of international pressure to companies trying to reduce prices for these medications. As a matter of fact, we have main programme reduction prices for some of them. The thing is that one or two medications are not the answers to problems, when we are dealing patients that have HIV infections. The basic regimen consists of at least three anti-retrovirals. Using one or two medications, is just a mistake, because this would increase the possibility of resistance, plus we’re doing nothing for the patient and they’re very expensive. So I think that probably in the next couple of months, we’re going to cover national position. And while we’re doing this, we could try push these international companies to lower the prices, plus try to get some of the companies that are manufacturing generic medication to help us increase the competition and try to change the situation that we have right now.”
Carillo says through the surveillance unit they know that to date there are one thousand, six hundred and ten cases of HIV and three hundred and sixty-eight cases of AIDS confirmed in Belize. Carillo says what is most disturbing about these figures is that they are reported cases only and there may be thousands more people living with the virus and don’t even know it.
