ZAMBIA: Dramatic boost in free AIDS treatment announced

Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa has announced plans to scale up the provision of free anti-AIDS drugs from the current 12,000 people to 100,000 by 2005.

Although no cost estimate was disclosed, the government has said it would need around US $500 million to fund planned treatment programmes over the next five years.

Reuters quoted Mwanawasa as saying: "The advent of HIV/AIDS has led to an increase in tuberculosis cases ... the impact on the health care delivery system is enormous, with 50 percent of hospital beds occupied by patients with AIDS-related illnesses."

An estimated one in five Zambians is HIV-positive and some 700,000 people have died from AIDS-related illnesses since 1984.

Theme (s): Care/Treatment - PlusNews,

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