At least 85% of South Africans in need of anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) had still not received them by mid-2005, a United Nations report revealed on Monday.
The report said the South African Aids crisis shows no signs of abating. Preventing infection and providing ARVs is key to halting the death spiral from Aids on the continent.
”It is morally unacceptable and indefensible to allow millions of people to die when the medication exists,” said Innocent Ntangira, of the World Health Organisation (WHO). ”We need to bring a sense of urgency.”
The report by the UN Joint Programme on HIV/Aids (UNAids) and the WHO gives a global update on Aids, highlighting estimates and new trends on the disease.
It found that the number of deaths among South Africans aged 15 years and older rose by 62% from 1997 to 2002 and more than doubled in the 25 to 44 age group, apparently due to Aids.
”This report reminds us once again that we [sub-Saharan Africa] have 10% of the world’s population, and 60% of the HIV-infected population,” said Mark Stirling, of the UNAids regional support group.
The difficulties of service delivery in South Africa affect the country’s ability to effectively provide medication and match the work done by other countries.
”The challenges are systemic, more than about will,” said UNAids coordinator in South Africa Mbulawa Mugabe.
Mugabe said he is not convinced of a lack of political will in South Africa.
The government, he said, has put the resources forward. But it is difficult to move these resources and strengthen health-sector capacity. — Sapa