Issued by: Government Communication & Information System
12 May 2000
Two recent events are expressing efforts to improve access to essential medicines, including anti-retroviral drugs.
The Minister of Health Dr M. Tshabalala-Msimang, today welcomed the decision by the USA president to no longer put undue pressure on African governments in their efforts to improve access to essential medicines through legal measures consistent with international trade agreements (TRIPS). This confirms the existing policy stances of the SA government.
The Minister also welcomed the offer by 5 multinational drug companies to substantially Reduce the prices of anti-retroviral medicines, but cautioned that such a price reduction, within the South African context, would not yet make anti-retrovirals ("triple treatment") affordable for equitable access to all South Africans who carry the HIV virus.
Current "triple treatment" costs around R 70,000 per person per year (in drug costs alone).
A 75% reduction in price would bring the drug cost down to R 17,500 per person per year. However, with a public sector drug budget of R 2 billion, this would mean that only 120,000 South Africans could receive treatment even if the whole drug budget would be spent on anti-retrovirals. But South Africa has 4.2 million HIV -positive people, of which some 400,000 are expected to be clinically ill with AIDS.
This unfortunately means that the Department of Health could still not afford to buy anti-retrovirals for the treatment of those infected with the HIV virus.
The Minister warns against undue expectations among the general public, as the concrete details of the price reductions are not yet available. But even with a 90% price reduction, the Government would still not be able to provide equitable access to anti-retroviral therapy for all South Africans.
However, the Department of Health continues to improve the provision of essential medicines for the treatment of all opportunistic infections in HIV-positive patients.
The Minister also emphasized that besides anti-retroviral medicines, success in any of the initiatives would require public education, counselling, testing, strengthening of our health care infrastructure, and good monitoring systems. She called on all South Africans to continue to prevent HIV infection through measures such as safe sex and the use of condoms.
For further information please contact:
Ms Nothemba Dlali
(012) 312-0713
082-775-4791
Issued by Government Communication & Information System (GCIS) on behalf of the Department of Health.