FHI - Kenyan Companies Get Support for Employee HIV Treatment

innovative public-private partnership that helps them provide affordable treatment to HIV-positive employees.

The project pairs some of Kenya's largest companies with Pharm Access Africa Ltd., a firm that negotiates the lowest possible drug prices from the pharmaceutical industry and offers technical assistance in setting up treatment programs. The Implementing AIDS Prevention and Care (IMPACT) Project manages the project, with funding from the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief through the U.S. Agency for International Development.

In February 2005, Pharm Access Africa and IMPACT sponsored a three-day workshop for directors, human resource managers and physicians from 12 Kenyan companies, including Kenya Airways and the communications company Telkom. The workshop described the project and its benefits to the companies, all of which are large enough to have some health infrastructure or insurance program that provides medical coverage for employees.

The project works through participating pharmacies, which are either independent or based at company clinics. After the pharmacies buy drugs from Pharm Access Africa at or near cost, company-based pharmacies dispense the drugs free to employees, while independent pharmacies sell the drugs to companies without pharmacies at a 5 percent mark-up to keep the final cost to employees as low as possible, according to Parminder Lotay, chief executive officer of Pharm Access Africa. Pharm Access Africa currently supplies 17 pharmacies and plans to add 13 more by March 2006. Some of the companies have expanded coverage to include employees' family members, company suppliers and contractors, and neighboring communities.

The project also builds the capacity of participating pharmacies, which receive computers and software to record supply and dispensing of drugs, as well as CD-ROMs of the British National Formulary and other manuals for pharmacists. Pharmacy staff
are trained in antiretroviral therapy, adherence counseling, and adverse drug reactions and interactions, as well as supply chain management.

Treatment for tuberculosis, one of the most deadly opportunistic infections, will soon be added to the project. Pharm Access Africa and the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Program of Kenya's Ministry of Health are developing training programs for participating pharmacists to help them recognize potential TB cases among customers and refer them to clinics. Drugs for tuberculosis treatment will also be available at special prices.

Photo: Workshop participants take a break during training. (Paul Maina)