OTGV #20 - Aids Series 4/5 - The Rationale for Cheap Drugs
Broadcasted on 23/12/02
AIDS hasn't a cure.
Well, not just yet anyway, but the capacity to fend off the most debilitating effects of the scourge is here.
Unfortunately, most of the afflicted has no access to the much-needed medication because of one thing:
The huge costs.
Hi welcome to On the Grapevine with me, Chong Ching Liang,
Although Africa has been hogging the headlines when it comes to the AIDS pandemic,
Asia is fast catching up.
Estimates from UN-AIDs projects Asia will lose more lives through AIDS than all of its wars put together.
What puts this in even sharper perspectives is that there is medication to fend off this calamity to humanity.
Veteran actor and AIDs activist, Elisabeth Taylor just developing medicines is useless.
"Our enthusiasm for these drugs should also not distract us from another gloomy reality; that under healthcare systems, the issues of costs and access will mean that these drugs will not be available to those that need them the most. As a result, terrible discrimination will both in the US and elsewhere, between the rich and the poor, the Haves, and the Haves-nots, those that can afford Protease inhibitors, those cannot."
It seems only when the AIDS affect a country's or a multi-national corporation's economic future, then definitive actions will be taken.
AngloGold, one of the largest mining companies in the world, has decided to provide free anti-retro-viral drugs to its workers.
Some 30 percent of its 40 000-strong workforce could be severely weakened.
The alternative of not doing anything for Anglogold, is imponderable as a business entity.
Anglogold has been able to provide the life-saving "triple cocktail" to AIDS patients because South Africa have been granted the right to produce cheap generic "copies" by the pharmaceutical companies.
But such actions are far and few in between because of the strong copyright laws protecting the giant pharmaceuticals.
Elisabeth Taylor made this poignant plea to the UN a couple of years back.
"When will the world find the human and financial resources to replicate these life saving programmes across the region if not the world? How much longer can we afford to wait? Our hopes for effective treatments are surely closer to us than ever before."
Unfortunately, this is something that Singaporean AIDS sufferers cannot look forward to say Action for AIDS or AFA, Benedict Jacob-Thambiah.
"The protection of generic drugs itself is protected by several international agreements for example TRIPPS under the WTO and also under several patent laws. I do not see Singapore allowing the production of generic drugs. One is for the protection of the pharmaceutical companies; second, is the numbers in Singapore are too small for us to actually set up a generic drug production service or a centre. So right now, many patients buy their drugs from Thailand or from, you know, their friends who come from India who made drugs as well. I don't foresee Singapore ever having generic drug production centre."
Singapore has grown to be a world-leading medical hub.
But Ambassador for U-N AIDS, MeeChai Viravaidya says perhaps more can still be done in Singapore to help the AIDs patients.
"On the treatment, yes, you are doing a great deal but the costs is still high. Luckily in Thailand, as of next March, the government, government-owned pharmaceutical organisations would be able to produce cocktails at the price of 75 U-S cents per day so no more than around US$300 the whole year. Sometimes you can't even come out of a Chinese restaurant under that in some cities. We can't export it but if Singaporeans want to come over, no problem. We'll really help you that way."
How expensive is the AIDS medication in Singapore?
Benedict paints the grim picture.
"HIV drugs in Singapore are among the costliest in the world. The drug companies charge Singapore what they charge countries in the North like America and in Europe. They do not realised that the per capita income of Singaporeans on average in comparison to income of people from North America and Europe. They charge Singaporeans the same prices. The cost of medication here can cost anything between 800 dollars a month, 1500 to as much as 2000 depending on the kinds of cocktails you are on. And it also depends on how severely affected you are with the HIV virus. 70 percent of the patients in Singapore are not on medication because they cannot afford HIV drugs."
If you analyse the Health Ministry's AIDS statistics, most of the infected belong to the lower economic classes, i.e. the blue collared workers.
Therefore it's no wonder that 70 percent of them are without medication since their wages will be much lower than the costs of treatment.
To compound things, the AIDS medication cannot be subsidised by the government since they are not on the schedule of standard drugs.
However, Minister of State for Health Balaji Sadasivan says there'll be help for those most in need.
Expectant HIV-positive mothers are given the anti-retro-viral drugs as some studies have shown that it will significantly reduce the transmission to the unborn baby.
"All the women who are HIV positive, who have to deliver children, have been given the medication because KK Hospital they have special funds that they collected through fund raising projects which they use to give these women so that they get their medication. Likewise, every child in Singapore who has had HIV, all its treatment has been paid for. What is more, KK has got some funds to help their parents. These children fall sick. ETC"
In summary, here's where Singapore's is:
The AIDS patients wish and hope that the government could do more to help reduce the costs of treatment,
the AIDS activists wish that cheaper medicine will lead to a much lower infection rate because more HIV- patients will come out of the closet for treatment and counseling.
And this may in turn contribute to the government's wish to eradicate AIDs in Singapore.
This is Chong Ching Liang for Newsradio 938.
=========================
Related Websites:
Newsradio938
http://newsradio.mediacorpradio.com
Action for Aids
http://www.afa.org.sg
Ministry of Health, Singapore
http://www.moh.gov.sg
AIDS hasn't a cure.
Well, not just yet anyway, but the capacity to fend off the most debilitating effects of the scourge is here.
Unfortunately, most of the afflicted has no access to the much-needed medication because of one thing:
The huge costs.
Hi welcome to On the Grapevine with me, Chong Ching Liang,
Although Africa has been hogging the headlines when it comes to the AIDS pandemic,
Asia is fast catching up.
Estimates from UN-AIDs projects Asia will lose more lives through AIDS than all of its wars put together.
What puts this in even sharper perspectives is that there is medication to fend off this calamity to humanity.
Veteran actor and AIDs activist, Elisabeth Taylor just developing medicines is useless.
"Our enthusiasm for these drugs should also not distract us from another gloomy reality; that under healthcare systems, the issues of costs and access will mean that these drugs will not be available to those that need them the most. As a result, terrible discrimination will both in the US and elsewhere, between the rich and the poor, the Haves, and the Haves-nots, those that can afford Protease inhibitors, those cannot."
It seems only when the AIDS affect a country's or a multi-national corporation's economic future, then definitive actions will be taken.
AngloGold, one of the largest mining companies in the world, has decided to provide free anti-retro-viral drugs to its workers.
Some 30 percent of its 40 000-strong workforce could be severely weakened.
The alternative of not doing anything for Anglogold, is imponderable as a business entity.
Anglogold has been able to provide the life-saving "triple cocktail" to AIDS patients because South Africa have been granted the right to produce cheap generic "copies" by the pharmaceutical companies.
But such actions are far and few in between because of the strong copyright laws protecting the giant pharmaceuticals.
Elisabeth Taylor made this poignant plea to the UN a couple of years back.
"When will the world find the human and financial resources to replicate these life saving programmes across the region if not the world? How much longer can we afford to wait? Our hopes for effective treatments are surely closer to us than ever before."
Unfortunately, this is something that Singaporean AIDS sufferers cannot look forward to say Action for AIDS or AFA, Benedict Jacob-Thambiah.
"The protection of generic drugs itself is protected by several international agreements for example TRIPPS under the WTO and also under several patent laws. I do not see Singapore allowing the production of generic drugs. One is for the protection of the pharmaceutical companies; second, is the numbers in Singapore are too small for us to actually set up a generic drug production service or a centre. So right now, many patients buy their drugs from Thailand or from, you know, their friends who come from India who made drugs as well. I don't foresee Singapore ever having generic drug production centre."
Singapore has grown to be a world-leading medical hub.
But Ambassador for U-N AIDS, MeeChai Viravaidya says perhaps more can still be done in Singapore to help the AIDs patients.
"On the treatment, yes, you are doing a great deal but the costs is still high. Luckily in Thailand, as of next March, the government, government-owned pharmaceutical organisations would be able to produce cocktails at the price of 75 U-S cents per day so no more than around US$300 the whole year. Sometimes you can't even come out of a Chinese restaurant under that in some cities. We can't export it but if Singaporeans want to come over, no problem. We'll really help you that way."
How expensive is the AIDS medication in Singapore?
Benedict paints the grim picture.
"HIV drugs in Singapore are among the costliest in the world. The drug companies charge Singapore what they charge countries in the North like America and in Europe. They do not realised that the per capita income of Singaporeans on average in comparison to income of people from North America and Europe. They charge Singaporeans the same prices. The cost of medication here can cost anything between 800 dollars a month, 1500 to as much as 2000 depending on the kinds of cocktails you are on. And it also depends on how severely affected you are with the HIV virus. 70 percent of the patients in Singapore are not on medication because they cannot afford HIV drugs."
If you analyse the Health Ministry's AIDS statistics, most of the infected belong to the lower economic classes, i.e. the blue collared workers.
Therefore it's no wonder that 70 percent of them are without medication since their wages will be much lower than the costs of treatment.
To compound things, the AIDS medication cannot be subsidised by the government since they are not on the schedule of standard drugs.
However, Minister of State for Health Balaji Sadasivan says there'll be help for those most in need.
Expectant HIV-positive mothers are given the anti-retro-viral drugs as some studies have shown that it will significantly reduce the transmission to the unborn baby.
"All the women who are HIV positive, who have to deliver children, have been given the medication because KK Hospital they have special funds that they collected through fund raising projects which they use to give these women so that they get their medication. Likewise, every child in Singapore who has had HIV, all its treatment has been paid for. What is more, KK has got some funds to help their parents. These children fall sick. ETC"
In summary, here's where Singapore's is:
The AIDS patients wish and hope that the government could do more to help reduce the costs of treatment,
the AIDS activists wish that cheaper medicine will lead to a much lower infection rate because more HIV- patients will come out of the closet for treatment and counseling.
And this may in turn contribute to the government's wish to eradicate AIDs in Singapore.
This is Chong Ching Liang for Newsradio 938.
=========================
Related Websites:
Newsradio938
http://newsradio.mediacorpradio.com
Action for Aids
http://www.afa.org.sg
Ministry of Health, Singapore
http://www.moh.gov.sg
posted by CHONG Ching-liang | 5:10 PM
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