PM for further lowering of AIDS drugs' prices

PM Manmohan Singh wants to make the drugs more accessible and affordable to all.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday favoured "further" lowering of prices of AIDS drugs to make them accessible and affordable to all and said that the pharmaceutical industry should be "sensitised" to expand basic research in the area.

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"...With the rapid march of technology, the cost of detecting HIV/AIDS, as well as the medication required to keep the disease under control is reducing," Singh said in New Delhi at the 'National Convention on HIV/AIDS for Youth Leaders of Political Parties'.

"But this pace is not enough. Prices must come down further to make these drugs more affordable and accessible to all," he said.

Besides, the pharmaceutical industry must also be sensitised to expand basic research to produce low cost drugs and vaccines, he said adding, "We need to strengthen our delivery systems to provide treatment for this disease even while minimising drug resistance."

The Prime Minister said that the government had a goal to ensure that "in the next two years our health delivery system will be restructured to provide a comprehensive package of services to the community and to HIV infected persons."

This package must consist of preventive services, promotional measures as well as interventions for counselling and treatment, he said.