Principles for resource allocations in health:
• Health maximization
• Equality
• Priority to the worst off
• Personal responsibility

The government of a low-income country has to develop a plan to submit to the Global Fund for the proposed distribution of ARV drugs. It can use the drugs for prevention and/or treatment and for whichever population group(s) it chooses. The drugs to be donated will meet 20 percent of the country’s total need based on current statistics.

UNAIDS provides the following data (2012) on this country:
HIV and AIDS estimates (2012)
• Number of people living with HIV 200,000 [170,000 – 220,000]
• Adults aged 15 to 49 prevalence rate 0.6% [0.5% – 0.6%]
• Adults aged 15 and up living with HIV 190,000 [160,000 – 210,000]
• Women aged 15 and up living with HIV 63,000 [55,000 – 71,000]
• Children aged 0 to 14 living with HIV N/A
• Deaths due to AIDS 12,000 [9,700 – 14,000]
• Orphans due to AIDS aged 0 to 17 NA

Question
1. Discuss which of the principles for guiding resource allocation listed above that
you would use to guide your decision on the allocation of these drugs.
2. Describe how you would apply that principle or principles in your decision-making for your plan.
3. What would be some of the additional key data or other information you would want to know for developing the plan?