Vietnam, et al UNAIDS Drug Project

A United Nations Program on HIV/ AIDS (UNAIDS) has been announced toimprove access to costly drugs for the treatment of HIV and AIDS in Vietnam, Uganda, the Ivory Coast and Chile, according to the Vietnam News.

The UNAIDS HIV Drug Access Initiative will be a collaborative effort between the public and private sector in the four countries. It will ensure that the health care services in these countries will be adapted to allow the effective use and distribution of drugs to treat these conditions. International pharmaceutical companies participating in the project will subsidize the prices of drugs, which could lead to the cost of treating HIV and AIDS patients being reduced by as much as 80%.

In Vietnam, two bodies will be established to coordinate the project. One will be a national advisory body under the Ministry of Health, which will bring together health professionals and those suffering from HIV and AIDS. The other group will be a non-profit making company, which will be funded by the participating pharmaceutical companies which will provide drugs at subsidized prices.