Nicaraguans living with AIDS continue to die from opportunistic infections
that have been treatable for many years. According to Willford Lopez, of
the Nicaraguan National Association of People Living with AIDS,
(ASONVIH/SIDA), Fluconazole,
used to treat candidiasis and toxoplasmosis continues to be priced out of
the reach of most People with AIDS in his country.
Says Lopez "fluconazole (a generic version) costs $4 per day. When Juan
Antonio, Vice President of our Association, was sick two weeks ago, it
tooks several days to raise the money to buy him two weeks worth of
fluconazole," said Lopez. With per capita income in Nicaragua at less than
$100 per month it is unlikely that People already
sick with AIDS would be able to afford fluconazole, and the government does
not provide it because it is not on the list of "essential medicines." "In
fact it was on the list, and was removed a few years ago," said Lopez.
Fluconazole is made by Pfizer. Generic versions of Fluconazole are available
for as little as .25 U.S.(less than 10 percent of the cheapest generic
version in Nicaragua) in
countries such as Thailand because of efforts made by the national
government and supported by regional health associations. But, in Central
America costs vary greatly and there has been no regional effort to provide
generic fluconazole at prices similar to those available in other parts of
the world.
Consulted October 8th about the price Fluconazole in Nicaragua, a Pfizer
representative offered a "special discount" of $16.80 per 200 milligram
capsule, if a not for profit association was buying the pills to donate
them to People living with AIDS. The regular over the counter price for
Pfizer's product in Nicaragua was quoted by this representative as $23.60
per capsule, more than five times higher than the price of the generic
version in Nicaragua and approximately
90 times the price of the generic version in Thailand.
Nicaraguans also receive assistance from Salvadoran brothers and sisters who
are willing to smuggle generic fluconazole into the country