Patents and HIV/AIDS Drugs
Access and Affordability Issues
More than 95 percent of all HIV-infected people now live in the developing world, which has likewise experienced 95 percent of all deaths to date from AIDS. Most of these deaths occurred among young adults who would normally be in their peak productive and reproductive years. In developed countries, the introduction of highly active antiretroviral treatment and the availability of drugs for opportunistic infections and malignancies led to a substantial reduction in AIDS mortality. In developing countries, however, access to these drugs is seriously lacking.Several interrelated factors determine access to essential drugs, including drugs to treat HIV and opportunistic infections….
