/ 7 July 2004

Funding for Russia

Estimated worldwide infections: 58 073 159 at noon on Wednesday July 7 2004.

The Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria has awarded Russia a two-year, $34,2- million grant for the treatment and care of people living with HIV/Aids and tuberculosis. The grant is the third Global Fund grant awarded to Russia.

It was also announced that an agreement in principle was made to reduce the cost of anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) from between $10 000 and $15 000 per patient per year to between $500 and $1 000 per patient per year.

The Russian health minister said the country will use only ‘patented and effective medicines. The decrease in price doesn’t mean we’ll be using lower quality medicines than in economically developed countries. They will be the same set of drugs but at a lower price.”

It is hoped that the grant and the drug plan will help provide treatment for 5 000 people in the first year.

Source: Kaiser Network