Congo Brazzaville 
Congo receives free HIV drugs; other countries to follow

afrol.com, 28 November - The anti-HIV drug Viramune (nevirapine) was given by the German pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim free of charge to representatives of the Republic of Congo (Congo Brazzaville) for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV virus. Congo is the first country to benefit from the company’s offer to provide Viramune free of charge for a period of five years to developing countries.

90 percent of children born by HIV-positive mothers usually contract the virus, statistics show. However, tests with the use of the drug in the Republic of Congo show that using Viramune had reduced the rate to 42 percent rate.

The technical consultation group of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNAIDS had fully endorsed Viramune as a safe and effective anti-retroviral treatment to prevent HIV transmission from mother to child on 24 October this year, and warranted its use beyond pilot projects and research settings.

- We believe providing Viramune to HIV-positive pregnant women in our country will significantly reduce the number of new infections we see every year in the Congo, said Dr. Leon-Alfred Opimbat the Health Minister of the Republic of Congo. According to the Congolese government 100,000 adults and children were estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS in the Congo at the end of 1999. 

- Studies have demonstrated that Viramune can fill a critical need in the developing world said Prof. Rolf Krebs, Vice Chairman of the Board of Managing Directors at Boehringer Ingelheim. "We’re confident that our initiative will continue to increase access to this important drug and will have a considerable impact in the developing world."

Viramune had became known after a publication in the June 17 issue of The Lancet indicating that anti-retroviral intervention can have a significant impact on the prevention of mother-to-child transmission and that a single dose of Viramune to mother-baby pairs is likely the most cost-effective, efficacious and most easily administered anti-retroviral agent for the prevention of HIV infection in new-borns.

Boehringer Ingelheim, health officials in the Congo and the French Red Cross are working together to ensure the Viramune mother-to-child transmission regimen is properly implemented in the Republic of Congo. As a first step, the national government will administer the Viramune mother-to-child transmission regimen in eight hospitals - five in Brazzaville and three in Pointe Noire. This effort will include implementation of HIV prevention campaigns, counselling initiatives for pregnant women and the establishment of new HIV test centres. The national government also will discuss with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and World Bank plans to acquire formula milk to prevent infection via breastfeeding and to outline necessary details so that they can participate in the "Accelerating Access Initiative" for chronic treatment.

The second country to receive Viramune free of charge to prevent viral transmission from mother to child is Senegal. First shipment will be handed over to the Senegalese government on World Aids Day, 1 December.

According to a statement by Boehringer Ingelheim’s, this initiative is part the company's commitment to the collaborative effort with five companies (Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, F. Hoffman-La Roche, Glaxo Wellcome and Merck & Co., Inc.), United Nations agencies (WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA and UNAIDS), World Bank and committed governments to explore practical ways of working together to make HIV/AIDS care available and affordable to a significantly greater number of people in developing countries. 

In the meantime Senegal has become the first country to finalise negotiations with the above mentioned pharmaceutical companies and will purchase anti-HIV drugs for chronic treatment at significantly reduced prices. Negotiations with other African countries are in final stages. 

Boehringer Ingelheim states that it "is strictly adhering to the WHO guidelines for drug donations to ensure that Viramune is donated to the developing countries with the greatest need." The WHO guidelines require that donations be based on an expressed need by the country in question and be relevant to the needs of the recipient country. UNAIDS, UNICEF and the WHO are working with local governments to optimise existing infrastructures so that safe and proper administration of Viramune is possible. 

Boehringer Ingelheim negotiates with interested governments specific terms for the shipment and distribution of the drug. The second country in this initiative to receive HIV/AIDS drugs at significantly reduced prices will be Uganda. PANA today reports that also the Kenyan Government is discussing with Boehringer Ingelheim about starting such a programme in that country.

Source: Based on information by Boehringer Ingelheim

 

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