Clinton strikes Aids drug deal
2004-04-06 09:31
New York - The charitable foundation set up by former US president Bill Clinton said on Tuesday that it has signed agreements with three aid agencies to make cut-price Aids drugs available to hundreds of thousands of people in the developing world.
Under agreements with the World Bank, Unicef and the Global Fund, the Clinton Foundation will provide developing nations with access to the cheapest available Aids drugs as well as vastly discounted medical equipment.
The Clinton Foundation has negotiated price breaks of up to 50% on antiretroviral drugs with five pharmaceutical companies and discounts of up to 80% on medical equipment used in the diagnosis of the deadly disease with five other companies.
It is already providing the cut-price drugs to 16 African and Caribbean countries through its HIV/Aids programme, but the latest agreements would permit recipients of World Bank, Global Fund or Unicef funding to take advantage of the cheap drug supply, according to a joint statement from the four parties.
The medicines are critical components of the "first line" Aids treatments recommended by the World Health Organisation, which are available to fewer than 200 000 people living with the virus, outside of Brazil which has authorised the manufacture of generic Aids drugs.
"With these agreements, we are one step closer to making sure future generations can live without the scourge of Aids," said former president Clinton in a statement.
"We are hopeful that developing countries and those who support them in the fight against Aids will take full advantage of this agreement and act quickly to do all they can to help in this fight."
The foundation pledged to work to get the life-saving medicines to those in need as quickly as possible, subject to the necessary guarantees of payment, and the provision of safe distribution channels.
"This initiative will help to get treatment to those most in need - the world's poorest people," said World Bank President James Wolfensohn.
The Global Fund, a public-private group committed to fighting diseases including Aids, tuberculosis and malaria, and the World Bank are among the world's largest sources of funding commitments to Aids treatment.
"This new partnership works to break down some of the barriers - such as price, supply and demand - that are impeding access to life-saving Aids medicines and diagnostics in developing countries," said Carol Bellamy, executive director of Unicef - the UN children's fund.