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Lacklustre AIDS response by government - UN envoy

    JOHANNESBURG

    South Africa is dragging its feet on treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS, a senior UN official has said.

    Stephen Lewis, the UN special envoy on HIV/AIDS in Africa, said it was ironic that the country, with all its resources, was not leading the way for its African neighbours in tackling the pandemic.

    "You can't imagine how the impoverished countries in Africa are moving heaven and earth to implement treatment. They don't have anywhere near the money or infrastructure of South Africa, but they are determined to respond to a pandemic that is decimating their populations."

    It is estimated that only 6,000 out of some 400,000 South Africans in desperate need of antiretroviral treatment currently have access to medication.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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