We found a match
Your institution may have rights to this item. Sign in to continue.
- Title
The Accelerating Access Initiative: experience with a multinational workplace programme in Africa.
- Authors
Van der Borght, S.; Janssens, V.; Schim van der Loeff, M. F.; Kajemba, A.; Rijckborst, H.; Lange, J. M. A; Rinke de Wit, T. F.
- Abstract
Problem A multinational company with operations in several African countries was committed to offer antiretroviral treatment to its employees and their dependants. Approach The Accelerating Access Initiative (AAI), an initiative of six pharmaceutical companies and five United Nations' agencies, offered the possibility of obtaining brand antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) at 10% of the commercial price. PharmAccess, a foundation aimed at removing barriers to AIDS treatment in Africa, helped to establish an HIV policy and treatment guidelines, and a workplace programme was rolled out from September 2001. Local setting Private sector employers in Africa are keen to take more responsibility in HIV prevention and AIDS care. An important hurdle for African employers remains the price and availability of ARVs. Relevant changes The programme encountered various hurdles, among them the need for multiple contracts with multiple companies, complex importation procedures, taxes levied on ARVs, lack of support from pharmaceutical companies in importation and transportation, slow delivery of the drugs, lack of institutional memory in pharmaceutical companies and government policies excluding the company from access to ARVs under the AAI. Lessons learned The launch of the AAI enabled this multinational company to offer access to ARVs to its employees and dependants. The private sector should have access to these discounted drugs under the AAI. A network of local AAI offices should be created to assist in logistics of drugs ordering, purchase and clearance. No taxes should be levied on ARVs.
- Subjects
AFRICA; ANTIRETROVIRAL agents; INTERNATIONAL business enterprise employees; HIV-positive persons; THERAPEUTICS; HIV infections; PUBLIC health &; economics; EMPLOYMENT; MEDICAL care; GOVERNMENT policy
- Publication
Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 2009, Vol 87, Issue 10, p794
- ISSN
0042-9686
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.2471/BLT.08.052027