SOUTH AFRICA: US funds new defence force anti-AIDS initiative

JOHANNESBURG, 26 Apr 2005 (PLUSNEWS) - The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) HIV/AIDS treatment project this week received a US $50 million boost from the United States government to conduct research into the impact of anti-AIDS drugs on the military.

The five-year joint initiative between the SANDF and the US departments of health and defence will undertake clinical research to strengthen existing antiretroviral (ARV) treatment initiatives.

According to the government news agency, BuaNews, about 2,600 patients have enrolled in the military's ARV programme, Project Phidisa, of which 730 are on ARVs at military hospitals across the country.

Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota said the project would also have an impact on the rest of Africa.

"The successful cooperation of Project Phidisa will not only be to the benefit of the Southern African region, but also to the African continent, as well as to the broader international community," Lekota was quoted as saying.

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