Our Experience:
Access to HIV/AIDS Treatments and Tests

Increased access to HIV therapies and tests in 69 countries, reaching more than 6 million patients.

2001-2007

Situation

A lack of access to HIV treatment in the developing world had reached a critical point in the late 1990’s. The largest barriers to effective treatment in these countries were cost, an inability to manufacture drugs locally and to pay for drugs even at a lower cost, as well as a weak healthcare infrastructure that was unable to support large-scale treatment programs.

Abbott Laboratories, aware of this context, brought Akesis and Axios International on board to develop and implement a program to increase access and affordability of their HIV therapies and tests in the 69 countries around the world.

Solution

In 2001, the Access to HIV Care access program was initiated. This program made two treatments (Norvir® and Kaletra®) and an easy-to-use rapid test (Determine® HIV-1/2) for HIV antibodies available at a loss to Abbott. All organizations in selected countries were eligible to participate in this program if they provided products to patients as part of a sound and sustainable program of care.

Akesis and Axios International were responsible for managing the application process and related supply chain, and assisting Abbott with the drug registration process by overseeing all import of product.We also worked closely with local institutions to prevent drug diversion and to ensure that the drugs and tests were being properly distributed to patients.

Results

Conceived before public donors began to play a key role in HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, the Access to HIV Care program was successful in reaching more than 6 million patients through more than 250 implementing institutions across the globe.

Beyond facilitating access to HIV treatment and diagnostics, it also opened the doors for future treatment donation programs and helped to set the foundation for voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) efforts that would become central to the fight against HIV/AIDS in the coming years.