Zambia's Tembo Promises Cheaper AIDS Drugs

Zambian presidential contender Christon Tembo on the eve of Thursday's election offered a promise of cheaper AIDS drugs to help combat the epidemic. He said his Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) would boost the fight against HIV/AIDS. An estimated 200 Zambians die from the disease every day.

"We want to assist all people to have access to cheaper drugs," Tembo told Reuters. "Our people are suffering and we must move to help them."

One in five of Zambian adults are HIV-positive. Yet Zambia remains without an AIDS policy framework document and last month the government failed to agree with the World Bank on a $42 million loan to help fight the disease. "We would have to talk with pharmaceutical companies on getting cheaper versions of their AIDS cocktails made available in Zambia. We have to examine all avenues, including generic drugs," Tembo said.

Aside from the FDD, no other political party has made AIDS an issue in the campaign. The disease kills more than 1,000 teachers every year and is expected to reduce life expectancy in Zambia to 37 years within the next decade from 46 years today.

[PNU editor's note: On Monday, Agence France Presse reported that opposition parties vowed to protest in the streets over alleged fraud in the election, while observers voiced concern over the vote count in the extremely tight race for president.]

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