November 19, 2007

Brazil Commended for Its AIDS Policy

Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health applaud Brazil’s AIDS policy—which has included lowering the price of HIV/AIDS medications and making generic versions more available—in a new study published in the November 13 Public Library of Science journal (newsvote.bbc.co.uk, 11/14).

Researchers describe Brazil’s work in dealing with the epidemic as “remarkable,” noting that its AIDS policy has saved the country around $1 billion between 2001 and 2005. In 1996, Brazil became the first country to pledge to provide free and universal access to HIV medications to its HIV-positive population, and remains committed to safe-sex messaging despite the continued conservative stance of many other Latin American governments.

Brazil currently produces generic versions of eight HIV medications that do not currently have patents. Earlier this year, Brazil broke the patent on Efavirenz and imported a cheaper version of the drug from India.