KUCHING: ASEAN must develop a regional approach to address the high cost of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs for HIV treatment, said Deputy Health Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni.
He emphasised the importance of these medications in sustaining successful HIV treatment programmes.
“We must collectively explore strategies to secure better pricing, voluntary licensing, and regional procurement solutions.
We must move forward not in isolation, but as a unified region,” he said during the opening of the ASEAN Regional Dialogue on Affordable ARV Drugs and Promoting Community-Based Testing (CBT) for Key Populations.
Currently, the average annual cost of ARV treatment in Malaysia is around RM500.
However, the country is shifting to a more advanced drug, Tenofovir-Lamivudine-Dolutegravir (TLD), which costs RM200 per month.
“The new TLD costs approximately RM200 per month, but our goal is to reduce it to at least RM100 per month. Although it is more expensive than the previous ARV, it is significantly more effective in treating patients,” Lukanisman explained. - Bernama
