In September 2006 the following link http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNADG265.pdf led to a CD4 MACHINE LOGISTIC FACT SHEET of USAID describing the BD's (Becton Dickinson) FACSCount CD4 Counter.

The sheet for example says that the FACSCount cannot do a cd4% ("cd4 percent") value, which is especially important for the treament of children. It gives out a lot of interesting and accurate information about the FACSCount:

The complete FACT SHEET for the FACS COUNT is still available, for example under the following link:

http://www.phishare.org/files/4365_CD4MACHINE_FACTSHEET_FACS.pdf

Nowadays, the above mentioned link http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNADG265.pdf does not any longer lead to the FACT SHEET of the BD gadget. Instead the same link leads to the USAID FACT SHEET for GUAVA EASYCD4 Counter which is producet by another US Company supported by the Clinton foundation.

It stays to ask, whether there are links of these Companies (BD and GUAVA) with the Clinton foundation or PEPFAR, which are serving other purposes than to help the PLWHA by the best and most affordable equipments in the world.

It is a somehow "normal" - a well known process - that interests of certain companies and national players are protected by the concerend national donors and supporters (mainly US and Europe), but it should not lead to unfair market protection. This is a part of the international "aid" business.

An e-mail from PARTEC from 18th of March 2008 the says:

"...on 30th November 2007 a so called "CD4 working group teleconference" was jointly (!!!) organized by WHO/EHT (Dr. Gaby Vercauteren) and BD (Mrs. Renuka Gadde)

During this phone conference, I openly asked the manufacturers active in CD4 counting to submit a clear commitment to the field and to the patients and patient programmes by openly publishing the instrument and test prices in the internet, at the company websites and the product brochures in order to secure transparent pricing which would be a significant advantage for all sides, especially for the MoH programmes and patients. This is what Partec already is doing since start in the CD4 field.
BD replied that "because the company is public and has shareholders and because of agreements with Clinton Foundation and PEPFAR, BD will never make pricing public!" (this was the exact wording and there was a special hard expression on the word "never")."

I am asking myself why all the companies dealing with "AID(S)" are so reluctant to untangle the web of prices?

Partec has publicly announced to sell CD4 test for as low as 2 US$ in the same qualitiy and for the same price worldwide. As far as I know this has happened up to now.

Friends, can we calculate how much "AID(S)" money has been dumped? Let us compare only the costs for cd4 Tests sold by BD under the Clinton agreement for 4 or 5 US$ plus all the other tests for up to more than 50 US$ and compare if we calculate 2 US$ each for all the tests sold worldwide?

What would be the difference and where does this revenue end up?

The quality of the test result is acceptable for all machines! The price, the handling, the time consumed, the support... makes the difference.

It seems money is not the problem for Tanzania and other countries, there seems to be an abundance of cash here. Why the hell are so many still not on treatment and dying? I think the donors should consider to stop all their "AID".

I will tell you why: The burden of AIDS is connected to CORRUPTION and MARKET MONOPOLIZATION. The whole story is about making money and not about helping the poor or PLWHA, the revenue of BD for example is increasing and the shareholders might be happy. But: Transparecny is not there!

Transparency is also lacking in the mission and church business, therfore:

Im Übrigen bin ich der Meinung, dass die zuständigen Missionssekretäre in Europa zurücktreten müssen und die Finanzgebarung in Europa und Tansania vollkommen offengelegt werden muss und Verantwortliche in Tansania und in anderen Ländern zur Rechenschaft gezogen werden müssen.