south and south east asia

opinions

The following opinions were contributed to our website. Please note that they have not been edited and presented the way they were received.

Indian pharmaceutical industry has really made a difference in the international market in terms of the cost of Antiretroviral Treatment (ART). ART costs around $ 12000 per annum in the international market. Indian pharma industry brings it to $ 340 per annum. Now the cost is further down to $ 140 per annum only which is equal to around 6500 Indian National Rupees (INR). But the cost of the ART in India is still high being around 120 percent more. This cost is equivalent to around 15000 INR, which is very high and beyond the purchasing power of the people living with HIV / AIDS. More over this is the cost of only medicine and does not include the cost of monitoring of treatment.

I think that this is an urgent need for the advocacy and government intervention to bring down the cost of the ART. The philosophy of Corporate Social Responsibility needs to be promoted in wake of HIV / AIDS epidemic and suffering of people across the globe. Government control over the drug pricing and distribution is absolutely necessary.

- Farhad Ali, India

The big pharmacies do not care about little people from other poor countries. They have no morals nor ethics. Life to them, is meaningless, unless it their own.

- Rita, Nepal

reality:opinions