Estimated Aids-related deaths in SA: 1 635 526 at noon on December 7 2005
India’s Health Minister, Ambumani Ramadoss, has described his own country’s main Aids body as ‘visionless”.
India, which reported its first case in 1986, now has more than five-million people infected with HIV.
In addition, a report criticising the National Aids Control Organisation (Naco) has been published by the Indian Network of Positive People, accusing the authorities of inadequately enforcing guidelines, critical gaps in treatment and no links between tuberculosis and HIV programmes.
The report also said that India’s patent laws, amended this year to comply with World Trade Organisation requirements, made it difficult to increase the production of generic drugs.
According to Health Ministry officials, India is providing free medication to 15 000 HIV patients. The World Health Organisation estimates that about 770 000 people need the drugs. — SciDev.Net
Lack of Aids drugs in Swaziland: A group of HIV-positive Swazis is considering taking the government to court for an alleged erratic supply of anti-retrovirals (ARVs), but officials insist that the lack of drugs is a matter of perception rather than reality.
‘Government should prepare itself for a lawsuit,” said Hannie Dlamini, secretary of a five-man committee tasked by the group to challenge the government on the country’s ARV distribution.
The yet-to-be-named organisation of ARV users, formed recently, has given the government until December 24 to offer a reliable drug distribution programme. If it failed to do so, the group said it would press ahead with court action, Dlamini said.
Dr Derek von Wissell, director of the National Emergency Council on HIV/Aids, said: ‘The World Health Organisation projected 13 000 people on ARVs this year; by September, we had 14 500 people on the programme, so if there were shortages it is a measure of our success.” — Irin/Plusnews