United States Pledges to Help South Africa Fight AIDS

US Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson pledged Thursday to support South Africa's fight against AIDS, despite differences with President Thabo Mbeki's government over the best way to combat the epidemic. "There are going to be some differences... but the positives of our partnership are so much more than the few things that we disagree [on]," Thompson told reporters after talks with South African Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang. Studies show that nevirapine can reduce mother-to-child transmission of HIV by up to 50 percent, but the South African government says its safety has yet to be proven, and inadequate infrastructure is in place to administer it. Thompson said the drug was being used successfully in the United States. "We have tested the efficacy of it and we feel that it is safe," he said.

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