Brasil’s AIDS Policy Sets a Benchmark

In the early 1990s Brasil became a world leader in the fight against AIDS. While the virus has spread through much of the world the infection rate in South America’s largest nation is similar to that in the United States.  Today the BBC reports on the ‘remarkable’ success of Brasilian AIDS policy in thwarting the spread of the deadly disease. The AIDS drug policy in Brasil was strengthened by a 1996 presidential decree which guaranteed all citizens infected by HIV would have access to all essential medicines to combat the disease. As the first nation to break a patent on AIDS medication Brasil has taken the power away from pharmaceutical companies who tend to inflate the costs of medication by at least 40%, enough to make the drugs inaccessible to those who need it most. Health Organisations around the world hold the policies as an example but no nation has followed suit yet despite the fact that the aggressive health policy has actually saved the lives of many citizens and saved the nation more than US$1bn  between 2001 and 2005 alone.

Sources: BBC BBC Archives Brasilian Government