Quarter Million South Africans Getting Free AIDS Drugs

At the end of September, a total of 235,378 HIV-infected South Africans were receiving free AIDS medicines through the public health system -- an increase of about 60,000 from the 178,000 patients who were enrolled in the program at the end of June, according to the Health Ministry.

Sibani Mngadi, a spokesperson for the ministry, said officials were surprised by the jump. "We have never heard of any other country that has achieved almost an average of 20,000 people being put on treatment a month," he said.

While activists welcomed the increase, some are unclear as to how the government arrived at the figures. "We still lack a proper system for monitoring the numbers of people on treatment and also for evaluating the benefits for people on treatment," said Mark Heywood of the AIDS Law Project and Treatment Action Campaign.

"And the second issue is that even if this is accurate, the increase is still nothing like the total numbers of people who would benefit from being on antiretroviral treatment, which is estimated to be something like an additional 500,000 people," said Heywood.

South Africa is expected to announce a new, five-year prevention, treatment and care strategy on World AIDS Day, Dec. 1. It is anticipated to include firm targets for the number of patients receiving free treatment. Heywood said activists are working with government officials to arrive at realistic targets and programs.

Back to other news for November 14, 2006