Free antiretrovirals in Brazil

The World Bank and other development agencies discourages developing countries from implementing expensive HIV treatment programmes, favouring “cost-effective” prevention instead. Brazil challenges this and starts purchasing and distributing antiretroviral drugs for free in 1991.

Brazil's story contrasts with South Africa, which had similar HIV prevalence in 1990 but only began providing treatment on a large scale in 2004. It now has the largest number of people living with HIV in the world.