TT to buy anti-retroviral drugs from Guyana

The Health Ministry is exploring the possibility of purchasing anti-retroviral drugs (ARV) from Guyana at a significantly reduced cost.

Health Minister Colm Imbert made this announcement at Hilton Trinidad yesterday while addressing the opening of a two-day meeting of health experts from TT and the University of Puerto Rico to explore areas of collaboration for AIDS research. Imbert said the initiative is the result of a meeting he held with the Guyanese Health Minister at the World Health Assembly in Geneva. Imbert said he was told that Guyana was manufacturing ARVs for people living with HIV/AIDS. The Guyanese government has a ten percent interest in a company manufacturing pharmaceuticals, among them ARVs. Imbert said the company was interested in doing business with TT and retailing their products. Imbert said the drugs must be of international standard (and passed by the Food and Drug Division)  before becoming available locally. Imbert said this will allow for more people with HIV/AIDS to receive treatment.

Imbert said TT is the first in the Caribbean to provide free ARVs. The Medical Research Foundation (MRC) is providing this service for the Ministry and there are plans to establish centres providing ARVs throughout the country. The mother-to-child transmission programme initiated by the MRC is also being expanded. Imbert assured Director of the MRC, Professor Courtenay Bartholomew, that his Ministry would provide further financial assistance once proper documentation of proposals is provided. Dr Yasuhiro Yamamura, of the Ponce School of Medicine AIDS Research Programme, said the meeting was about defining what could be done. “Instead of waiting for tomorrow, we can decide what we can do now.” He hoped it would be a “first step.” The areas being explored for collaboration between the MRC and the University are basic sciences and epidemiology, clinical research and training and molecular diagnosis.