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Global public-private-partnerships (GP3s) between non-government organizations, drug companies and government institutions are not the panacea to Africa’s AIDS pandemic they were touted to be three years ago.

That’s Sherri Brown’s assessment. The Simon Fraser University political science student is nearing the end of three years of doctoral research dedicated to studying GP3 efficacy in Lesotho, South Africa.

The 2007 Pierre Elliot Trudeau doctoral scholarship recipient will present her findings during a public event, Canada-Africa Connections: Stories from the Frontline, at Mulgrave School in West Vancouver on Thursday, April 30.

Former Canadian prime minister Paul Martin and former deputy prime minister Anne McLellan will also speak at the event from 4:30-6:30 p.m.

High-profile drug companies and retail chains started partnering with clinics, research institutions and governments in 2004 to make HIV/AIDS treatment universally accessible in Africa at little to no cost.

Their ultimate goal was to make anti-retrovirals—recently proven to prevent AIDS if taken early enough after HIV diagnosis—easily accessible to all affected people.

The partnerships were inspired by rising worldwide recognition that less than one in 500 HIV/AIDS sufferers in southern Africa could access even the most basic treatment. Southern Africa has the world’s largest affected population.

Brown says that bureaucracy and self-interest prevented GP3s from making more than a marginal dent in getting HIV/AIDS treatment to affected Africans.

“GP3s have helped bring down the price of HIV/AIDS treatment, but eight out of 10 affected people still can’t access even the most basic treatment,” says Brown.

“People often die waiting for treatment of any kind because they can’t even afford the cab ride to the place where the treatment is offered, never mind get around the bureaucratic delays that stymie their access. ”

Brown says many health care providers don’t access free drugs under GP3 agreements because doing so would mean they couldn’t use the donated drugs to treat conditions other than HIV/AIDS. Often the drugs could treat a multitude of other HIV/AIDS related illnesses.

“What we ultimately need is a commitment to long-term drug price reductions based on a metric that recognizes and embeds the human right to health in pricing,” says Brown. “We also need increased efforts and resources for basic health system strengthening so that people can practically, as well as financially, access treatment.”

Brown will make her third doctoral research fieldtrip to Africa in May.

For more information on Brown’s public lecture: 604.985.8388 or dbarker8388@shaw.ca

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