South Africa Plans to Almost Double AIDS Spending

South Africa plans to almost double its HIV/AIDS spending to $173 million in the next financial year, Thami Skenjana of the Government AIDS Action Plan said on Saturday. The move would boost spending from about 1 billion rand now to 1.8 billion rand. Skenjana was speaking after an event marking the fourth anniversary of the state's "Partnership Against AIDS," which seeks to include everyone in the fight against the epidemic. Deputy President Jacob Zuma compared the struggle against AIDS to that against white minority rule, saying the disease could be beaten if people work together. "It is our belief that HIV and AIDS, and the abuse of women and children, are challenges that can only be addressed if we all act together as a united force," he said. South Africa has more people living with HIV/AIDS than any other country. It spends about 28 billion rand on all health services, which includes its AIDS allocation.

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