Do Pharmaceutical Companies have an Obligation to Aid Poor People Suffering from Malaria

The widespread issue of malaria in developing countries is not a topic your average American citizen likes to discuss over lunch. This pressing matter is one that we like to sweep under the rug, along with others such as HIV/Aids, tuberculosis, etc. However, pharmaceutical companies cannot ignore the statistics any longer. Every day, thousands of people in developing nations are losing their lives in combat against the enemy: malaria. 3.4 billion people live in areas at risk of malaria transmission in 106 developing countries.[1] In 2012, it is estimated that malaria caused 207 million clinical episodes, and 627,000 deaths.[2] Hundreds of thousands of these individuals living in developing countries are losing their lives to curable diseases such as malaria, and so pharmaceutical companies have an obligation to help.

Pharmaceutical companies have the necessary technologies and resources to which those in poorer nations do not have access. Withholding such information and potential aid from these suffering individuals would be cruel, and unethical, to say the least. By placing exorbitant, and unfeasible, prices on medications that help treat malaria, pharmaceutical companies are eliminating the chances for those that are less fortuned from receiving treatment. Antimalarial drugs are sold in both the private and public sectors, however, in developing nations, where wages may fall short of $1 a day, how are these individuals to find the funding to pay for such drugs? Thus pharmaceutical companies have an obligation to uphold; Ideally, this obligation should not contribute to the widespread suffering and death due to diseases such as malaria.

Pharmaceutical companies have obligations to develop and actively seek out programs that allow for the lowering of the cost of production of their drugs. In turn, pharmaceutical companies will be able to lower the price of their drugs, allowing for more of those diagnosed with malaria in developing nations to purchase the medication. For instance, these drug companies could eliminate the middleman pharmaceutical companies. By doing so, there would be an elimination of administrative costs, which pharmaceutical companies could then use to decrease their prices. Alternatively, pharmaceutical companies should be constantly seeking channels which could aid in lowering costs such as external funding and partnerships with other organizations.

Pharmaceutical companies have an obligation to ensure that disadvantaged individuals in poor nations have access to the needed malaria medication. If these individuals infected with malaria are unable to gain access to the medications due to economic reasons, pharmaceutical companies should seek out methods of confidential discount pricing with such low-income nations. In these cases, pharmaceutical companies would charge low-income countries at discount rates. The confidentiality clause ensures that the discount rates provided to low-income countries remain private. This will secure that pharmaceutical companies will not feel pressure to provide similar rebates to other purchasers.

Pharmaceutical companies should no longer allow the unnecessary suffering and dying associated with diseases such as malaria. Pharmaceutical companies can employ many methods to ensure that low-income countries receive drugs at a discounted rate whether it be through confidential discounts, elimination of the middleman, etc. Pharmaceutical companies have obligations to ensure that those who are at high risk of developing the disease/already have the disease, are able to access treatment.

References:

1. [1] "Malaria Facts." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. March 26, 2014. Accessed February 13, 2015. http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/about/facts.html.
2. [2] Ibid