UNAIDS HIV Drug Access Initiative: Providing Wider Access to HIV-related Drugs in Developing Countries, Pilot Phase

local needs and capacities.

How the Programme Works:
Phases of the Initiative
The UNAIDS HIV Drug Access Initiative consists of two pilot phases, with
ongoing evaluation a key component of the programme. The initial phase of
the Initiative is designed to set up the necessary infrastructure and systems to
increase access to HIV-related drugs on a small but sustainable scale, with
the objective of expanding access once workable models are developed.
Phase I of the Pilot Project, lasting two to three years, is being implemented
in countries where the health care infrastructure is reasonably developed or
may only require moderate strengthening to allow rapid implementation and
evaluable results.
Phase I evaluations will identify specific prerequisites for improving access to
HIV-related drugs and provide recommendations on how to strengthen the
health care infrastructure to address these needs. The results will help in
establishing an action plan to broaden access to HIV-related drugs in the four
pilot countries, as well as in additional countries. UNAIDS will prepare a
guideline of best practices based on the phase I evaluations, which will be
made available to the governments of those developing countries that wish to
implement similar drug access programmes.
To date, four countries have been chosen to participate in the pilot phase of
the Drug Access Initiative. These are:
* Chile
* C6te d'lvoire
* Uganda
* Viet Nam
Countries were selected taking into consideration a number of criteria and the
need for the Initiative to be implemented initially in a variety of situations for
evaluation purposes. The selection factors included:
* Political and social stability;
* Estimated HIV prevalence and incidence;
* Existing health care infrastructure;
* The country's political commitment to respond to the HIV/AIDS epidemic,
and to provide care and support of people with HIV infection;