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8 April 2003: "Global Partnerships: Humanitarian Programs of the Pharmaceutical Industry in Developing Nations", PhRMA, April 2003 (Adobe Acrobat)
12 February 2003: Infectious Diseases Besiege Poor Nations
12 February 2003: Global AIDS Epidemic: An Overview
22 April 2002: "Global Partnerships: Humanitarian Programs of the Pharmaceutical Industry in Developing Nations", PhRMA, 2002 (Adobe Acrobat) [Photo Credit: Craig Bender, pages 3 and 6]
18 Feburary 2002:
Executive Summary
Health Care in the Developing World
Intellectual Property and Access to AIDS Drugs
Overview: Factors Affecting Global AIDS Fight
The Global Challenge of AIDS
New Developments: Recent News Items from the Pharmaceutical Industry
World political and health officials now agree that the AIDS crisis in Africa and other parts of the developing world is a truly global health care problem.
It requires a broad and comprehensive solution involving governments of both developed and developing nations, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, businesses and individual citizens.
Medicines are one part of the solution to the AIDS crisis.
Pharmaceutical companies are committed to our primary mission of discovery and development of new medicines. Our leading companies are working with the governments of developing nations and international organizations to make AIDS medicines available at or near cost and in some cases for free. The priority, though, should be in preventing the spread of this incurable disease, many experts still agree. Finally, sustainable progress in improving access to health care, including innovative medicines, can only be made through an integrated approach to the current health problems.
Many developing countries are not adequately delivering basic health care services, including medicines, to their populations.
Countries need functioning public health systems to get health care services and medicines to the sick.
There are fewer than three doctors per 10,000 people in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
Storage and distribution systems are nonexistent or are poorly managed, resulting in significant losses of medicines. World Bank estimates that for every $100 spent by African governments on drugs, only $12 worth of medicines reaches patients.
Countries need adequate infrastructure-roads, transportation, electricity, clean water supply-to operate an effective health care system.
Health facilities are often located in urban areas, far away from rural populations most in need, or are not accessible to large numbers of the population via public transportation.
Fundamental economic, social and political issues in many developing nations impede access to health care services and medicines.
Impassable roads and weak transportation systems block patients, providers and medicines from reaching health facilities.
Lack of clean water and sewage treatment and overcrowded housing spread disease.
Social stigmas surrounding AIDS keep many from turning to the public health system for testing and treatment.
Governments generally have not made health care a spending priority and have lacked the political will to deal with the AIDS epidemic.
Few governments in developing countries have assigned high priority to health care. The level of resources devoted to health care has been grossly inadequate to deal with the HIV/AIDS epidemic effectively.
Health care services have often taken a back seat to defense spending; even worse, there have been instances of available health funds being left unspent due to bureaucratic mix-ups and mismanagement.
Many governments have only recently acknowledged the extent of the HIV/AIDS problems in their countries.
Pharmaceutical companies know the broader challenges in providing access to health care and medicines.
Pharmaceutical companies have collaborated in solving health problems in the past and are deeply involved in the global fight against AIDS and other infectious diseases.
PhRMA companies donate badly needed medicines and sponsor and support public health programs around the world in partnership with governments, international agencies and NGOs.
PhRMA companies support the efforts to develop a global, multilateral solution.
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