NACO: A Bureaucracy that is proving lethal

[Guest guest]

Dear FORUM,

Re: India to provide costly 'second-line of treatment.

/message/7176

I would like to point out on this list-serve a terrible injustice that is

occurring in India. To me, with all due respect to Dr. Ajithkumar, there is

nothing “bold” about the declaration from the NACO chief. On the contrary,

given the facts of the situation, I believe that NACO has made a terrible

mistake.

In spite of an offer from UNITAID to pay the complete cost of second line

treatment for all Indian People with HIV who need it for two years, the

government, via the National AIDS Control Program (NACP), is refusing to start

this treatment NOW. Therefore the National AIDS Control Program and the

government are negligent and are responsible for the death of every Indian PLHIV

who dies for lack of access to second line treatment. Aside from the free offer

from UNITAID there are other potential sources of economic support to assure the

sustainability of this treatment.

Also the prices of various second line medications continue to drop and it is

the responsibility of the national AIDS Control Program to maintain as many

people as possible alive, assuming the price reductions during several years

will be substantial, and those who die now will have died for no reason at all

except what I would refer to as " bureaucracy that is proving lethal. "

I met with the Director of NACO last November and since then have been involved

in various activities focused on obtaining second line treatment, with various

assurances directly from Mrs. Rao that she just needed " a little more time. "

And this was before I was personally aware of the offer from UNITAID to provide

free treatment. So, I was shocked by the announcement that the NACO will wait

until " 100,000 PLHIV have treatment " before initiating second line treatment,

which could take until December or even longer. In the meantime, how many

unnecessary deaths will be caused by this inhumane decision to refuse

assistance from the international community that would save the lives of

citizens of India who need these medications now?

I think it is important that this forum call attention to this miscarriage of

justice. The Global Fund for AIDS Tuberculosis and Malaria also has resources,

as yet unused, that could be assigned for the purchase of second line treatment

after the UNITAID offer would expire in the year 2009.

The deaths of those who die during this period-based on this inexplicable and

arbitrary decision to wait until 100,000 people have first line treatment is now

squarely the responsibility of those who have taken this decision. And if the

price of second line treatment drops to $500 per person per year by 2009 (or

less), which is highly possible, these deaths will be even more outrageous.

Those who would like additional facts and information can visit the website

listed below which contains an excellent report just completed by Priti

Radhakrishnan, who has presented such a complete analysis of this situation that

anyone reading it could not fail to be convinced of the complete feasibility

and necessity for second line treatment to begin immediately.

INDIA AND SECOND-LINE ART. (March 2007)by Priti Radhakrishnan, Initiative for

Medicines, Access & Knowledge (I-MAK).The report can be found at:

http://www.law.fsu.edu/gpc2007/materials/18%20FINAL_INP_March20.pdf

Stern

Director

Agua Buena Human Rights Association

e-mail: rastern@...