More Zimbabwean Teachers Dying From AIDS

According to a report released Monday by the Progressive Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe, 566 of the nation's teachers died last year of AIDS-related illnesses. "Many of those teachers would still be alive today if they were provided with antiretroviral drugs," said Raymond Majongwe of the union. "At least two teachers are either on sick leave or sick at work at every school in the country." Of the estimated 1.8 million Zimbabweans living with AIDS, fewer than 20,000 are receiving free ARVs from the government. The government's plan to get the drugs to 100,000 people by year's end has been stymied by inflation, which has sent the cost of a month's course of ARVs to $2 million Zimbabwean ($114.2 US) -- more than half-a-month's salary for most teachers.

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