Zimbabwe Plans Huge Increase in AIDS Drugs Rollout This Year

On Monday, Zimbabwe's national HIV/AIDS coordinator at the Health Ministry announced a tripling of AIDS patients targeted for treatment by year's end, the state-run Herald newspaper reported. "We hope that by the end of 2007, about 160,000 people would have been enrolled under the antiretroviral program and we are working hard to ensure that this happens," said Owen Mugurungi. Some of the ARVs are procured through Zimbabwe's drug firm Varichem; the rest will come from UNICEF, said Mugurungi. In the 2007 budget, 70 percent of the nation's AIDS tax will be used directly to purchase ARVs, Finance Minister Herbert Murerwa said last month. In addition, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria gave Zimbabwe $65 million two weeks ago to help it fight the three diseases.

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