The Rising Costs of Medication

In the past decade pharmaceutical companies around the world have been growing as a sector at rapid rates. Profit margins for these companies are reaching staggering numbers. From 2001-2002 the industry of pharmaceutics gained a 20% increase in sales. The rise of pharmaceutical companies has left much of Latin America with restricted access to medical care. Much of this industry has focused its attention and advertising to wealthier countries such as the US. They are catering to areas of the world with the greedy intention of making enormous amounts of money. In doing this, they are ignoring most Latin American counties that desperately need drugs to combat diseases that don’t necessarily occur in the US. Tropical diseases for instance are taking millions of lives in Latin America, while this concern in the western world is almost nonexistent. Ways to treat such diseases are scarce when pharmaceutical drugs are not available.


Powerful pharmaceutical companies in Latin America have begun pushing for wider patent protection and rights on their products. The effects of these measures are seen in the dramatic price increases on vital medications. Many companies want generic brands to become unavailable and are lobbying for drugs to be sold only in pharmacies. They are also marketing to other countries besides their own to push their products.

Not only would the steps taken by these large corporations increase prices, but they would also prohibit the use of plants for medicinal purposes. This practice happens to be extremely widespread in the Latin culture. Medicinal herbs have often times been a viable option for treating illnesses that are normally combated with medications.

It seems almost unbelievable that these large corporations are planning steps to increase prices and limit access to drugs when most people in Latin America live below the poverty line. Interventional measures need to be taken before drug companies monopolize and create a disastrous health environment in these third world nations.

The Status of AIDS and Homosexuality in Latin America

As mentioned in the previous post, AIDS has become an ever growing problem in Latin America. This is especially true in the homosexual community. In fact, sexually active homosexual men are actually 33 times more likely to contract the disease then straight men and women. Social stigmas surrounding this lifestyle have led to a decrease in access to AIDS treatment. Much of the Latin culture prides itself on gender roles, with the ”machismo” ideology being at the forefront of various stigmas. A “macho man” is supposed to demonstrate extreme masculinity in order to seem powerful and to attract the opposite sex. Pure ignorance leads many to persecute gay men for not assimilating to this representation. Coming out seems like a battle many homosexuals do not want to fight. Therefore, those who do contract the disease through sex are reluctant to seek help. Without proper education about the virus, many don’t understand how it is obtained. This lack of knowledge has people actually fearing infected individuals and has caused some hospitals to randomly test patients and workers for AIDS without their consent. If they test positive, patients could be denied treatment and workers could lose their jobs.

Another major roadblock gay Latin’s face is the Catholic Church’s stance on marriage. Catholicism is one of the predominate religions in this region. With a significant portion of the population practicing a religion that condemns homosexuality, it seems like a never ending struggle for homosexuals with AIDS to seek help.

However, in the past two years there has been progress in accepting the gay population in some Latin countries. Laws are becoming more liberal towards homosexuals. For instance, in Mexico gay pride parades are now being celebrated with the government issuing police protection at such events. The government is becoming more lenient and allowing such grand scale demonstrations of gay pride to occur. Even in health care some progression has been made since access to AIDS treatment is becoming more accessible.


Yet these small strides towards social equality come with their share of downfalls. Even though homosexuality is becoming more widely received, there are still many that are not attaining proper medical treatment for their illness. Before the gay movement began, many sought asylum in America for treatment. In 1994, asylum began to be offered to those that were persecuted for their lifestyles. It gave them a place of refuge from the judgmental eye of their community, and the opportunity to acquire medications in the U.S. With Latin governments allowing more gay friendly laws to pass, it is becoming harder and harder for gays to receive asylum. The American lawmakers are no longer granting asylum to Latin citizens as easily.

Only recently have various Latin American governments begun to recognize gay and lesbians as an integral part of the community. Just because there has been a push for gay rights, does not mean that deeply ingrained beliefs and homophobia are going to disappear anytime soon. The men who have sex with men group in Latin American countries are still being singled out for their lifestyles. Access to vital medical treatment is as hard to come by as ever before. America needs to recognize this fact and continue to disperse proper treatment to those in underprivileged countries.

The Basics

Imagine a significantly vast region of the world where roughly a fourth of the population is living on two dollars a day. The idea of an annual medical checkup becomes an almost unheard of luxury. Individual health is pushed back to a secondary priority when people are uncertain of where their next meal is coming from. The third world countries of Latin America face this unarguably horrific state. Underdeveloped, overpopulated, impoverished, politically unstable - these are all defining terms of what constitutes a third world nation.


Poverty is not the only damaging cause that riddles these territories with disease and paralyzes their medical management. Influences such as strict religious beliefs, social stigmas, lack of education, cultural practices, dramatic price increases on pharmaceutical drugs, environmental effects (the list can go on and on), have not only caused but also have restricted access to treatments of various afflictions.


In recent years, there has been a rising number of AIDS diagnoses. According to a 2007 statistical review, Latin America has about 2 million people living with the AIDS virus; double the number of people living with the ailment in the United States. The AIDS epidemic in Brazil and Belize is now rivaling that of Africa’s, with an outlandish number of citizens being exposed. Outbreaks such as this are happening all over the area. Eradication efforts are difficult to come by when there is little money or no stable organization within the government to provide aid. There are also social and religious stigmas, such as those involving homosexuality and sexual promiscuity, associated with AIDS that inhibit those victims to seek help.

Whether it is money or culture, there seems to be a never-ending cycle of complications. Globally health care is a growing concern, especially for those who cannot afford it. Even in America the debate regarding health reform goes back and forth with hardly a resolution in sight. But before any type of reform can happen, individuals need to understand what is going on in order to effectively make a difference in this part of the world.