Role of Governments and the Pharmaceutical Industry in the Fight against HIV/AIDS - Essay Example

? Role of Governments and the Pharmaceutical Industry in the Fight against HIV/AIDS Muhammad Emaduddin Research-Academia Role of Governments and the Pharmaceutical Industry in the Fight against HIV/AIDS HIV/AIDS infection is considered to be a pandemic by World Health Organization (WHO). AIDS until now has claimed more than 25 million lives globally (Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS, 2006). Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Under this condition progressive failure of the immune system in humans allows life-threatening infections and cancers to grow. HIV infection occurs by the person to person transfer of semen, blood vaginal discharge, pre-semen or breast milk. Major sources of disease transmission are unsafe sex, used needles, breast milk and transmission from mother to baby at birth (Weiss, 1993) (Douek et. al., 2009). Governments and pharmaceutical companies around the world are taking measures to fight against HIV infection. We will specifically emphasize on the role of government & pharmaceutical companies in African countries towards prevention and eradication of HIV/AIDS from masses. Heavy health budgets, quality of life and growth of economy are few of many factors that push governments around the world to invest and legislate to fight against spread of HIV infection. Corporate responsibility, social welfare and philanthropic programs are some of the incentives that drive pharmaceutical companies to push for comprehensive AIDS prevention agenda. Government & pharmaceutical companies use legislation, research grants, drug control, awareness campaigns and enforcement strategies as tools to counter the spread of AIDS. Pharmaceutical companies and government agencies in developed world are very efficient at promoting the understanding of drug use that leads to HIV infection. Research is being done into how social behaviors promote drug-use that eventually helps in spreading AIDS due to bodily fluid transfer (Williams et. al., 2000). African countries on the other hand generally lack pro-active approach in terms of educating masses regarding the spread of HIV infection. While there are success stories in Africa that include “The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria”, “The United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief” (PEPFAR), Senegal and Uganda governmental initiatives to fight AIDS, there are also problems faced in countering the spread of AIDS. These problems include Prevalent corruption in governmental regulatory bodies Lack of political will in most of African leadership Social taboos and norms Lack of institutions and infrastructure Pharmaceutical companies trying to gain profits rather than penetration in African market With lesser amount of money and resources put into fight against AIDS due to factors stated above, a general lack of awareness prevails in most Africa nations. South African health minister, an ardent proponent of alternative medicine therapy for AIDS has been able to convince his followers into avoiding anti-retroviral drugs (an accepted primary source of AIDS treatment). Instead people lacking awareness regarding the treatment of the disease were lured to the false claims of using improved diet, or cheap generic vitamin pills as a simple and relatively inexpensive way to marginally delay the need to start HIV medication. A detailed study by Ben Goldacre, published in his book in 2009, reads out the following lines “… Alternative therapists like to suggest that their treatments and ideas have not been sufficiently researched. … research had indeed been done, with results that were far from promising.” (Goldacre, 2009, pp.187 – 188) Among the success stories, driven by governmental steps to eradicate the causes of HIV infection, the most noteworthy are the steps taken by Senegal and Uganda governments (UNAIDS, 1999). These include Problems regarding AIDS infection were recognized at promptly. Adequate funding was provided to fight HIV/AIDS. Difficult political decisions were taken to cater for the religious and cultural taboos. Media was taken onboard to shape favorable opinions. Prevention and reactive approaches like use of condom use was promoted. Ease of access to anti-retroviral drugs was ensured while keeping the price affordable. Drug dispensation monitoring was put into place in order to increase health coverage. Governments collaboration with NGOs and use of local people to handle gender issues. Recognizing the role of elders in family to take care of the high disease ratio in orphaned children. Improvement of educational standard and access for children. Senegal, Ethiopia, Botswana, Tanzania, and Zambia, have done their bit to provide free HIV treatment as medical fees have prevented masses from receiving health services. These free treatments are supported by coordination of government resources and donor charities. UNAIDS, sheds further light on successes in Senegal and points out some inherent benefits in the particular case of Senegal. “ there was much in the social structure of Senegal as well as in the structure of its health services even before the advent of AIDS that favored a response once the threat of an HIV epidemic became clear. But it was the determined use of those existing advantages to generate a national response early on that can be credited with the fact that, at the end of the 1990s, Senegal has one of the lowest rates of HIV infection in sub-Saharan Africa.” (UNAIDS, 1999) The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria was initiated by UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, in 2001. This fund created to be the largest in size to tackle the diseases on its agenda. This fund is currently poorly funded and slow in reponse, however highlights in its reports a different story regarding the mismanagement and unfairness carried out under the flag of USAIDS PPFAR program. The Global Fund highlights that its initiatives are facing political obstacles from US that would prefer to have its own initiatives such as PEPFAR. The Global Fund further accuses US PEPFAR of taking healthcare distribution related decisions on political grounds, rather than health/need basis (AVERT, 2009). Another international HIV and AIDS charity, AVERT has argued that US based PEPFAR avoids supporting countries considered to be politically hostile. US PEPFAR was also accused by AVERT of discouraging the use of generic drugs which are cheaper than the ones from US based pharmaceutical companies. Thus US based pharmaceutical companies in a way are accused of criminally keeping the masses away from using the right drugs. Such revelations suggest a nexus between pharmaceutical companies and both local and foreign governments. Such a nexus is only expected to deliver at limited sweetspots within Africa where both political climate and economic interest are in-line with donor countries like US. The recent Global financial crisis has made many African nations cut on their health-care budgets thus giving a hard blow to existing AIDS treatment and prevention regimes in such countries. It is not only the African governments who are feeling the crunch, the donation amounts from first world donor agencies have also gone down significantly. An article by Kristin Palitza in 2009, states “ Already, large percentages of households in Sub-Saharan Africa are poor, and the large number of people on treatment means ever-increasing treatment program costs. Yet, Sub-Saharan Africa only accounts for one percent of global health expenditure and two percent of the global health workforce. Currently, only one third of HIV-positive Africans in need of antiretroviral (ARV) treatment can access it. … Dr Bactrin Killingo, chairperson of the Nairobi-based Collaborative Fund for HIV Treatment Preparedness [says, ] “If current cost constraints faced by HIV treatment programmes are not addressed, while the demand for expensive second-line treatment increases, we will soon find ourselves in a situation similar to the 1990s, where millions of lives were lost unnecessarily because people could not afford the treatment they needed to stay alive.” (Palitza, 2009) There is still a long way to go, as prevention and treatment programs have access to fewer than one out of five people in Africa (UNAIDS, 2004). However, despite the challenges faced by most African countries, there are facts that show us a brighter side of the picture. According to PEPFAR, in FY 2009 2.4 million individuals received antiretroviral treatment 11 million were provided with HIV/AIDS care and support 29 million received HIV counseling and testing 77.7 million benefitted from PEPFAR’s HIV prevention strategies Such results bring hope and passion to work harder for eradication of deadly diseases like HIV both as individuals and as societies. On the other hand, governmental agencies have not by far failed us in our quest to lead this world out of the era of deadly infectious diseases. Pharmaceutical industry however has failed to deliver its job to bring down the cost of vital medication for HIV treatment. Pharmaceutical Industry of the influential world has unfortunately transformed HIV/AIDS from a death sentence to a chronic disease by expensive drugs meant for wealthy population of western world. However, there is clear disregard for poor people including people from industrialized and agricultural nations, who are major sufferers of HIV/AIDS. Bibliography “Acting early to prevent AIDS: The case of Senegal”, UNAIDS, June 1999, pp.23. “The World Report”, UNAIDS, 2004, Bangkok, pp.70. “The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria”, AVERT. Last accessed June 22, 2009. Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, (2006). "Overview of the global AIDS epidemic", 2006 Report on the global AIDS epidemic. Retrieved 2006-06-08. Palitza, K., (2009). “Health-Africa: Global Financial Crisis Leads to HIV Budget Cuts”, Inter Press Service, May 18, 2009. Weiss, R., (1993). "How does HIV cause AIDS?". Science 260 (5112): 1273–9. Douek, D., Roederer, M., & Koup, R., (2009). "Emerging concepts in the immunopathogenesis of AIDS". Annu. Rev. Med. 60: 471–84. Willliams, S., Gabe, J., & Calnan, M., (2000). “Health, Medicine and Society; Key Theories, Future Agendas”, Routledge, London. pp. 14-15. Goldacre, B., (2009). “Bad Science”, Harper Perennial. pp.187 – 188 Read More