SOUTH AFRICA: 'AIDS drugs essential for HIV/AIDS patients'

Antiretroviral drug treatment for HIV/AIDS patients was essential since international precedents indicated a marked decline in AIDS-related mortality rates, the Human Research Council (HRC) said in a statement to parliament this week.

Speaking during public hearings over HIV/AIDS, HRC chief executive Dr Olive Shisana said the state's policy on HIV/AIDS drugs should not be linked to costs or a lack of infrastructure. The 'Beeld' newspaper reported that she suggested that HIV/AIDS treatment at academic hospitals be instituted, while the government considered other more affordable options including imports from Brazil or Thailand.

The HRC is currently assessing infrastructural requirements of the primary health care system on behalf of the government. "Our country's infrastructure is not ready for a massive campaign (for anti-retroviral treatment). However, it could be initiated at tertiary institutions. The government can make a start by applying it on a small scale," Shisana was reported as saying.

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