India’s top AIDS drug supplier, but its own poor can't afford it

[Guest guest]

India's top AIDS drug supplier, but its own poor can't afford it

Published: Monday, Oct 25, 2010, 3:32 IST

By Priyanka Golikeri | Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA

The irony couldn't get starker. Even as

India emerges as the leading supplier of AIDS medicines globally, patients in

the country can barely afford their monthly treatments.

India supplied over 80% of all AIDS medicines between 2002 and 2008 to four

million people across African countries such as Congo, Mozambique, Tanzania,

Kenya and Nigeria, and developing

countries in South America, a recent study by the Journal of International AIDS

Society revealed.

" But several Indians themselves are unable to consume them as the

government policies to avail free treatment are unwelcoming, " says Loon Gangte,

president of Delhi Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS.

The government has been providing free primary or first-line AIDS medicines

since 2004, long after AIDS was first detected in the 1980s.

However, several AIDS patients have developed resistance to first-line

medicines, and require second-line medicines, which are beyond their reach.

" The government is obliged to provide free treatment to all HIV/AIDS patients.

It started providing free second-line treatment from 2008, but it has laid down

unfriendly criteria to avail it. Hence, only 1,260 patients are currently

getting it, " says Deepak Leimapokpam, from the Manipur Network for Positive

People.

Second-line treatment costs about Rs4,000-6,000 per month.

That's unaffordable to many. Take the case of Sharda Shejale, an AIDS patient

from Pune who works as a domestic help and earns Rs800 per month. She can't

afford to buy the medicines herself. And she does she meet the criteria set by

the government to be able to get it free.

The government has mandated that only patients enrolled on a government

programme for the primary medicines for at least two years will get free

second-line treatment.

" This is horrendous, " says Ramesh Dalvi, an AIDS patient from Kolhapur, who has

been taking first-line treatment since 2000 when the government programmes were

not in existence.

" The government started providing first-line only from 2004. So people like me

would buy it from the private market before that. Now, just because we were not

on the government programme then, we can't avail of the services, " says Dalvi.

What's more, the second-line treatment is provided free only to

patients below poverty line (BPL).

" There is no clear definition of what constitutes BPL. Even if a patient owns a

fan, he will not qualify, which is absurd. Moreover, a patient has to get

approved by the State AIDS Clinical Expert Panel, which meets only when they

have a sufficient number of candidates. That can take months and people die

waiting, " says Gangte.

BB Rewari, national programme officer, anti-retroviral therapy, National AIDS

Control Organisation, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, however, justifies

the eligibility criteria saying the second-line drugs need to be used

judiciously.

" We are giving it to all those below 15 years, widows, BPL populations, " he

says.

http://www.dnaindia.com/money/report_india-s-top-aids-drug-supplier-but-its-own-\

poor-can-t-afford-it_1457907

[Guest guest]

Dear FORUM,

/message/12179

Before the ART centers came into existence (2004) as doctors should we

have allowed to die the patients (first case from India was in 1986) as there

were no govt agency taking care--even majority qualified doctors were also

reluctant to even touch these patients.

Not only that what is the fault of those poor patients who were trying to live

by purchasing medicines from market at the cost of education of their

children,enjoyments of life, sacrificing celebration of festivals and even

birthdays of their kith and kin (children even).

If now with international financial aid Govt has medicines then why should they

not start enjoying-the small things in life which they were deprived of so far.

Are govt hospitals only for poor? Can we discriminate like that ? If

some people despite free treatment offers still do not go to govt

hospitals, should govt/NACO not do an introspection to find fault with

its own system.

I feel anyone at any point of time can approach govt facility and they can not

be denied just because they did not approach them earlier or are well to do.

Diseases like HIV and cancer can make any rich person a pauper by sheer amount

of money it needs for improving the QOL (we all know these disease result in

people /nations becoming bankrupts).

Judicious use of drugs does not mean-deny those who need.

The broad question for judicious use of drugs leads us to bring an end to

quackery--we all wish it comes to an end before even when we blink our eyes but

can govt do it--can they really stop the mushrooming ill health system of the

country.

Rakesh

Rakesh Bharti

e-mail: <rakesh.bharti1@...>