Expanding access, increasing hope

Yesterday the Clinton Foundation announced plans to provide reduced cost second-line anti-retroviral drugs as well as a new, once-a-day pill that is currently cost prohibitive in the developing world but considered the 'gold standard' in developed nations. These agreements lower the prices for 16 formulations of ARVs, which will be available to 66 developing countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean through the Clinton Foundation’s Procurement Consortium.

Last month, the UN reported that an estimated 2 million people around the world were receiving treatment for AIDS, but the number fell short by a third of what the UN had hoped to reach by this year. However, in 2003, only 400,000 people were being treated.

Increased access to anti-retroviral medication is a huge step forward in enabling people and entire communities to be able to return to work, support their families, and live longer and healthier lives. However, the distressing news to come out of all this is that prevention of transmission is still far from where it needs to be.

I'm currently reading Jeffrey Sach's "The End of Poverty" and for someone without a lot (ok, any) economics background I have to say to his credit very complex issues are written in a manner that even I can actually grasp. One of Sach's points is the enormous toll taken on productivity by preventable illnesses such as malaria, TB, and HIV/AIDS--all preventable, and with the exception of AIDS, curable. If the adult population of your already impoverished village is hit with AIDS it condemns the entire village to an almost unending cycle of poverty. Farming can not be done and crops fail. People go hungry and are more susceptible to disease. Income dwindles and no fertilizer can be bought to increase crops. Adult heads of households die and the young are now in charge of raising their siblings--and not able to finish schooling.

All heavy stuff for first thing in the morning, perhaps, but increasing access to medications is good news and certainly a step in the right direction. Kudos to the Clinton Foundation for their continuing efforts.