New Guide Lists HIV/AIDS Drugs, Costs, International Suppliers for Procurement Agencies, Governments
UNICEF, UNAIDS, the World Health Organization and Medicins Sans Frontieres on Wednesday presented an updated list of HIV medications, HIV testing kits and suppliers of HIV/AIDS-related products designed to help procurement agencies and national governments obtain such products for the best value, Reuters Health reports (Reuters Health, 6/26). The guide, "Sources and Prices of Selected Drugs and Diagnostics for People Living with HIV/AIDS," will provide "transparency of information" from a range of different products and sources and fill "a gap" in the efforts to expand access to such products, the agencies said in a joint statement. The survey contains 123 pharmaceutical products, including antiviral medications, medications for AIDS-related opportunistic infections and cancers, pain relief medications and medications to manage drug dependence. Information regarding various HIV tests and treatment monitoring devices is also included on the list (WHO/UNAIDS/UNICEF/MSF release, 6/26). "It's a useful tool, because one of the barriers to access is getting the right information and comparative information," a spokesperson for the WHO Health Technology and Pharmaceuticals Department said, adding, "We give the average indicative price, which allows countries or whoever is buying to negotiate" (Reuters Health, 6/26). The survey includes information from 39 pharmaceutical manufacturers in 20 different nations (WHO/UNAIDS/UNICEF/MSF release, 6/26).
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