(a) whether a cheap and subsidized Indian AIDS drug is being supplied to Nigeria to control AIDS;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government propose to provide similar subsidized drugs in India to help poor patients, especially in rural areas through International aids as well as Co-operation of certain manufacturing firms; and
(d) if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR. C.P. THAKUR)
(a)to(d) A statement is laid on the table of the Lok Sabha.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 454 FOR 24.4.2002
The Indian Pharmaceutical Companies like M/s Ranbaxy and M/s Cipla held negotiations with the Government of Nigeria for supply of three anti-retroviral drugs namely Lamivudine, Stavudine and Nevirapine to the Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria at a cost of US$ 350 per year per patient. The Government of Nigeria intends to subsidize 80% of the cost of drugs eventually to treat about 10,000 adults and 5000 children suffering from AIDS. The patients who require anti-retroviral treatment will have to pay about US$ 7 to US$ 8 per month.
The Government of India at present provides financial support to States/UTs for the treatment of opportunistic infections of AIDS patients in all public sector hospitals. But, anti-retroviral therapies are not supported by the Government in the programme because of their prohibitive costs on account of indefinite period of treatment and other supportive investigations required for monitoring the progress of the disease. However, Government has been progressively reducing the excise and custom duties on anti-retroviral drugs to make them available to HIV/AIDS patients at reasonable price.