Panama: Modern Antiretroviral Treatment Will Be Available

About 1,500 people in Panama will now potentially have access to triple antiretroviral therapy under a decision made earlier this month by the Panamanian national health service. Panama and Costa Rica now provide modern HIV treatment; the other Central American nations do not. Orlando Quintero, a physician in Panama living with AIDS, led the efforts for treatment access for the last 15 months.

The decision followed a week of major protests, legal action, and growing public awareness and support.

For more information contact treatment activist Richard Stern, rastern@sol.racsa.co.cr, who works extensively on access issues in Central America.