Call for expansion of antiretroviral coverage by Indian diplomat

An important player in the global fight against AIDS, India has called for expanding antiretroviral therapy coverage to combat HIV/AIDS. Emphasising the importance of continued political commitment, a senior diplomat has said competing financing demands and changing priorities should not affect efforts to provide adequate resources to fight HIV/AIDS, reports The Pharma Letter’s India correspondent.

Taking a lead in the global fight against AIDS, India is supplying the world with two-thirds of the drugs to treat those infected with HIV, according to Indian diplomat Paulomi Tripathi.

Speaking at the UN General Assembly, Ms Tripathi, a First Secretary in India's UN mission said these affordable generic medicines have helped scale up access to treatment across developing countries, as almost two-thirds of the antiretroviral drugs used globally are supplied by the Indian pharmaceutical industry.