Tuesday, December 01, 2009

R120 million dollars for AIDS treatment

By Khanyisa Tabata
01 December 2009


The United States says it is giving South Africa 120 million dollars for Aids treatment in response to a plea from President Jacob Zuma that underlines his new approach to fighting the epidemic.

US Ambassador Donald Gips will make the announcement later today but said the funds will be disbursed over two years.

The Western Cape is planning three pioneering initiatives in the fight against Aids. Provincial Health MEC Theuns Botha said the initiatives will include routine HIV testing, earlier initiation of antiretroviral treatment, and triple therapy for the prevention of mother to child transmission.

The province intends to make routine HIV testing standard procedure at all public health facilities.

The minister said there is no plan to make HIV testing compulsory and the patient will therefore still have the right to opt out.

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