BENIN is to offer Aids patients up to 99% off the cost of medical treatment with assistance from France and the World Foundation Against Aids, the national Aids agency said on Wednesday. Costing a total of 1.150bn CFA francs (17.5m euros), the Benin government will foot 457_000 euros of the bill. Between 95 and 99% of the cost of treatment will be reduced for patients depending on their socio-economic situation, said Severin Anagonou, coordinator of the National Programme to Combat Aids. Benin has more than 160_000 reported cases of HIV, including 37_000 patients showing symptoms. – AFP