Low-income countries pay high prices for HIV / Aids drugs

Some countries are paying up to three times more than others for drugs to treat HIV / Aids, a new study has revealed.

Many countries already struggle to pay for antiretrovirals (ARVs). They are not a cure, but ARVs prolong life and can stop people from becoming ill for many years. They have to be taken every day, for life.

The aim of antiretroviral treatment is to keep the amount of HIV in the body at a low level. This stops any weakening of the immune system and allows it to recover from any damage that HIV might have caused already.

But there is massive inequality in the prices poorer countries are paying for these drugs.

In 2007, Nigeria paid $334 (£203) per patient per year for a combination of first-line ARVs that cost Congo only US$95 (£57), according to a fresh study. Both are low-income countries, but Nigeria has a higher HIV prevalence of 3.1 percent, compared with Congo's 1.2 percent.

The AIDS2031 project study looked at the most effective long-term responses to the HIV / Aids epidemic and investigated why the prices of these drugs varied so widely from country to country. It also looked at what can be done to make the ARVs more affordable. The results were revealed today via the United Nations news service.

Over the past 10 years, the price of ARVs has come down significantly, but low-income countries with high HIV rates still struggle to pay for the treatment. The current global economic situation has also made it harder as wealthier countries donate less money to help them pay for ARVs.

About 4 million people across the world receive ARVs, out of an estimated 10 million thought to need them. And the number of people needing the drugs is forecast to grow to around 22 million by 2015. Another problem is that more patients are starting to become resistant to cheaper ARVs and need newer versions, which currently cost at least nine times more.

Researchers have looked at price differences between 12 types of ARVs, and recommend various strategies to ensure that all countries obtain the best possible prices. They suggest helping lower-income countries to take advantage of compulsory licensing, and produce generic ARVs. There was plenty of room for a drop in the prices of the newer second line drugs, they found.

"Many more patients could be treated if second-line therapy were closer to manufacturing costs," researchers said. "Reducing the price of second-line therapy should remain a priority."