AFFIDAVIT


I, the undersigned,

CHLOE CLARISSA HARDY

do hereby make oath and state:

1	I am an adult female employed as a paralegal at the AIDS Law Project, 
Centre for Applied Legal Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, 
Johannesburg.

2	The facts contained herein are to the best of my knowledge true and 
correct.

3	During the week of the 30th July to the 3rd of August 2001, I conducted a 
telephonic survey of the cost and availability of nevirapine at pharmacies 
in the Johannesburg area.  I contacted 20 pharmacies, selected at random 
from the telephone directory.

4	Of the 20 pharmacies surveyed, only seven stock the drug in any form.  
The pharmacies that do not stock nevirapine indicated that they do not 
keep stock due to the high price of the drug, which results in a lack of 
demand, and due to the short expiry period.

5	The seven pharmacies that do stock nevirapine provided the following 
information on the cost of the drug in tablet and in suspension form:

5.1.	May's Chemist, Melville (telephone no. 726 8014):
?	Tablet form: R 8.00 per tablet
R 6.50 per tablet with discount, only available in box of 60 tablets
(Cost per box of 60 tablets: R 410.00)
?	Suspension form: Do not stock

5.2.	Pharmarama, Rosebank (telephone no. 880 7532):
?	Tablet form: R 13.50 per tablet
(Cost per box of 60: R 432.15)
?	Suspension form: Do not stock

5.3.	Mediteek Apteek, Halfway House (telephone no. 805 2086):
?	Tablet form: R 13.00 per tablet
?	Suspension form: R 45.00 per 45ml bottle
(Sold in packs of five 45ml bottles, at R 343.00 per pack)

5.4.	Mall Pharmacy, Fourways (telephone no. 465 4420):
?	Tablet form: R 10.56 per tablet
?	Suspension form: R 274.74 per 240ml

5.5.	Southgate Pharmacy, Southgate Mall (telephone no. 942 2033):
?	Tablet form: R 432.31 per pack of 60 tablets
Do not sell single tablets
?	Suspension form: 240.61 per 240ml

5.6.	Bruma Pharmacy, Bruma (telephone no. 622 1453):
?	Tablet form:  R 7.72 per tablet
Do not sell single tablets – the above price includes a discount 
only available in a pack of 60 tablets
?	Suspension form: R 257.61 per 240ml

5.7.	Hillbrow Pharmacy, Hillbrow (telephone no. 642 6936):
?	Tablet form: R 617.13 per pack of 60 tablets
Do not sell single tablets
?	Do not stock

6	In summary, 20 pharmacies were surveyed.  Of these, 13 pharmacies do 
not stock nevirapine at all.  Seven pharmacies stock the tablets, but only 
two of these will prescribe single tablets.  Four pharmacies stock 
nevirapine in suspension form.  In every one of those cases, however, the 
patient has to purchase more than 200 mg of the suspension, as opposed 
to the single 2mg/kg dose need by the child.


DEPONENT

_____________________________

The Deponent has acknowledged that she knows and understands the contents 
of this affidavit, which was signed and sworn before me at JOHANNESBURG on 
this the 17TH day of AUGUST 2001, the regulations contained in Government 
Notice No. 1258 of 21 July 1972, as amended, and Government Notice No. R 
1648 of 17 August 1977, as amended, having been complied with.

COMMISSIONER OF OATHS

Name: ____________________________________________

Address: __________________________________________


Designation: _______________________________________