Health Civil Society Organizations accuse Gilead of limiting access to Critical medicine in Africa

Nairobi, Friday April 21, 2023

K.N.A By Phinta Amondi

The Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) Healthcare Foundation (AHF) together with other health Civil Society Organisations have accused Gilead Services, one of the largest biopharmaceutical firms of restraining developing African countries access to critical medicine for diseases such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis C and Meningitis.

AHF and other health based civil societies through a press conference themed “Stop Pharma Greed” revealed that Gilead Services was making substantial profits at the expense of HIV patients including 1.4 million victims in Kenya.

Speaking at the press conference held at a Nairobi Hotel yesterday, AHF Country Director Dr Samuel Kinyanjui said that Gilead often times buys publicly funded research on new medicines, brings them to market at inflated prices and blocks out competition through patent monopoly.

“In the face of a huge demand for antiretroviral drugs, Gilead is taking advantage of the patent monopoly to prevent generic competition and consequently limiting access to one of the most effective and well tolerated drugs,” said Kinyanjui.

“In 2021 alone, the company generated over $27 billion in revenue, an equivalent of 3, 557, 250, 000, 000 Kenyan shillings,” he added.

Kinyajui expressed that of over 1.7 million patients in care across 45 countries, nearly 871,000 are estimated to have contracted Hepatitis by exposure of unscreened blood transfusions, use of drug injections and sexual practices.

The Director added that the illnesses have no vaccines and the best way to curb them is through treatment which is relatively costly as it ranges from $1000 dollars which is equivalent to Sh135, 300.

In addition, he emphasized that HIV patients, sex workers and health workers are not spared in the process.

Echoing Kinyanjui’s remarks, Ringa Group Executive Director Patricia Asero urged Gilead to put the lives of people before profits to minimize treatment costs for HIV patients. He said Kenyans have a right to affordable HIV and Hepatitis C medications.

Asero alleged that despite claims of its enormous profits to develop new drugs, Gilead often buys public funded research on new medicines then inflates the prices in the market while rewarding executives with hefty pay packages and dividends for shareholders.

Further, she urged the government and various stakeholders to revise and enact laws on health as well as fund research locally to ensure flexibility in the making of drugs that are 85 percent generic.

At the same time, Ambassador for Youth and Adolescent Reproductive Health (AYARHEP) Advocacy Officer, Mercy Wanjiku advocated that Gilead share drugs license to allow drugs manufacturing in other countries.

 “It is becoming impossible for patients to access effective drugs against HIV, especially the youth without Gilead granting patent rights to generic manufacturers,” lamented Wanjiku.

She voiced that through stopping patent drugs and encouraging more generic drugs, the youth will be empowered and enlightened on their rights which will help them make informed choices.

Courtesy K.N.A