Annie Lennox - Sing

South Africa vows to treat all babies with HIV

This could mark a turning point in helping to create a more effective response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic in South Africa, where 1,000 people die from Aids related causes every single day... A hugely significant shift in attitudes from the previous administration. Let’s hope that the words have a lasting impact.

Annie Lennox

 

Source: BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8388178.stm

 

South Africa vows to treat all babies with HIV

 

All South African babies under the age of one will be treated if they test HIV-positive, President Jacob Zuma has announced in a major policy overhaul.

In a speech to mark World Aids Day, he said he hoped anti-retroviral drugs would save infants' lives.

And he announced he was preparing to take an HIV test himself.

South Africa has 5.5 million HIV-positive people - the highest number in the world - and 59,000 babies are born infected each year.

Mr Zuma's speech is a marked departure from his predecessor, Thabo Mbeki, whose government denied the link between HIV and Aids.

Mr Mbeki's critics have accused him of causing about 300,000 deaths by not rolling out anti-retroviral drugs to people with HIV quickly enough.

'Era of openness'

Currently, treatment is available in South Africa only for people whose immunity levels have been significantly reduced by HIV.

 

Mr Zuma announced in his speech that the drugs would be available more widely to children and pregnant women.

He described it as the start of "an era of openness" and urged South Africans to take responsibility for themselves.

"I am making arrangements for my own test," he told crowds in Pretoria.

"I have taken HIV tests before, and I know my status. I will do another test soon as part of this new campaign. I urge you to start planning for your own tests."

He said the measures would come into force in April next year.

Analysts say South Africa already runs the world's largest anti-retroviral programme - but almost one million people still go without treatment.

The US has announced it will give $120m (£73m) to help South Africa buy more anti-retrovirals, in response to a request from Pretoria.

The rate of HIV infection in the country has levelled out - with no increase in the number of people contracting the virus each year.

But health campaigners are warning that the number of Aids-related deaths is set to rise significantly in the next five years, as the illness takes effect on those who have had it for a long time.

South African charities warned this week that 5.7 million children - a third of all South African children - could become Aids orphans by 2015.

Currently there are 1.4 million Aids orphans in the country.