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AFRICA: Special needles to curb spread of HIV/AIDS
JOHANNESBURG, 16 October (PLUSNEWS) - In an effort to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS and hepatitis in developing countries, a US-based medical service provider has dropped the price of specially designed syringes that are impossible to use more than once.
Becton Dickinson and Company said it was willing to provide the auto-disable syringes that lock after being used only once for about 5 cents each.
Research shows that second to unsafe sex, injections administered with used needles have become the second leading cause of HIV/AIDS and hepatitis in developing nations.
The president of Becton Dickinson's medical systems, Gary Cohen, told Reuters in a recent interview: "We could be selling these for more but, recognising where they're going, we intentionally brought the price down."
To fund the single-use needle programme, Cohen said the company had lobbied for a fraction of US President George W Bush's US $15 billion global AIDS pledge, but would push ahead even if the US congress was not forthcoming.
[ENDS]
MORE NEWS BRIEFS
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Recent AFRICA Reports
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Treatment programmes skewed in favour of urban males, 30/Mar/04
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Generics challenge brand-name anti-AIDS drugs at conference, 30/Mar/04
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Interview with Professor Alan Whiteside, AIDS economist, 29/Mar/04
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ARVs - too little, too late, 29/Mar/04
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Interview with Hilda Tadria, regional gender advisor at ECA, 26/Mar/04
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Links
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The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis & Malaria
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AEGIS
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The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis & Malaria
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Youth against AIDS
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Making A difference for Children Affected by AIDS
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PlusNews does not take responsibility for info in links supplied.
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PlusNews is produced under the banner of RHAIN, the Southern African Regional HIV/AIDS Information Network. RHAIN's members currently include:
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