HIV/AIDS drug scheme planned for end of 2003

Zimbabwe has announced plans for a national HIV/AIDS drug programme for the end of 2003, local newspaper The Herald reported on Wednesday. The Minister of Health and Child Welfare, Dr David Parirenyatwa, said he was optimistic that the decreasing costs of antiretrovirals could result in many people benefiting from the programme. The cost of HIV/AIDS treatment in most countries surveyed in 2002 by the World Health Organisation (WHO) had dropped to around US $300 per patient a year, down from US $10,000 a decade ago. "Combined with increasing financial support from organisations and partners such as the Global AIDS Fund," Parirenyatwa said, "these are positive moves to increasing access to care and treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS." He said the government plans for increased access to HIV/AIDS care and treatment would also focus on home-based care as "health facilities are failing to cope with the high demand".