RFI: Health Delivery Systems for AIDS drugs
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I work for Catholic Relief Services and participate in a joint Africa
Advocacy Network in DC. One of the arguments being put up against
making AIDS drugs available to Africa is that there is not an ade-
quate infrastructure in place. As it has been put by some policy mak-
ers here in the US, "You cannot just parachute medicines into an Af-
rican Village Square."
This is worrisome for those of us campaigning for drug availability
because while we recognize the need to build an infrastructure, we do
believe that there are differing delivery systems in place in differ-
ent places, i.e. its not all one big African Village Square. Convinc-
ing policy makers here requires giving solid examples of alternative
health delivery systems in place; e.g. missionary hospitals and clin-
ics, private company clinics (e.g. Anglo American's offer in Zimbabwe
and South Africa, army medical systems etc.) Would you have any exam-
ples of such delivery systems outside of the public health sector,
which we could use?
Note, we are not saying that it is adequate; we are just saying lets
deliver to those places where it is possible to do so and not condemn
everyone under one brush. Your assistance would be very helpful in
our efforts.
Ismael Muvingi
mailto:imuvingi@yahoo.com
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