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SOUTH AFRICA: Third phase of AIDS drug roll out set to begin

[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

JOHANNESBURG, 23 August (PLUSNEWS) - The Health Department of South Africa's Gauteng province says it is ready to begin the third leg of its antiretroviral (ARV) rollout, scheduled for early September.

The rollout forms part of government's national Comprehensive Plan for the Management, Care and Treatment of HIV/AIDS, which aims to have 10,000 HIV-positive people on treatment by end of March 2005.

In the first leg of the rollout during April this year, the Johannesburg General hospital, Chris Hani-Baragwanath, Helen Joseph, Coronation and Kalafong hospitals began providing treatment. The George Mukhari, Pretoria Academic, Natalspruit, Leratong, Far East Rand, Tembisa and Kopanong Hospitals followed suit by July.

The government news agency, BuaNews, quoted the health authorities as saying: "This is in line with the department's plan to have 23 sites providing antiretroviral treatment ... The total number of patients that have been seen at the hospitals for ARV treatment since the rollout of the first phase in April is 18,883. Of that number, 4,536 actually met the criteria and began receiving the treatment."

[ENDS]

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