sub-saharan africa

sub-saharan africa

opinions

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

It is simple. There is no reason to give medicines away for free. Life-sustaining medications should simply be paid for in proportion to income.

- Joseph, Uganda

These giant pharmaceutical companies are greedy. They are there to make profits. To them, life does not count. They always think about wealth, not public health. My choice? The choice is clearly human life.

- Yared, Ethiopia

Ideally, I believe that public health does not seek to make profit. However, this is turning out to be a false statement when it comes to HIV/AIDS. Drug companies are seeing that there is both an incredible need and low supply of AIDS cocktails so this then drives a desire for patents and subsequently business around AIDS drugs. It is unfortunate that profit has taken over and prevented millions of people from drugs that can prolong lives and also prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS (AZT given before birth can reduce transmission by close to 50 percent.) Fortunately, South Africa has taken a lead in Africa towards advocating for inexpensive or free drugs and is making companies and their government rightfully very nervous.

- Neema Mgana, Tanzania

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