The South African government has opened a new centre to monitor the safety of antiretrovirals (ARVs) and other medicines used in the treatment of HIV and AIDS.
Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang said the centre would focus on the use of ARVs among adults, while a similar institution would monitor the impact of the drugs on children and pregnant women, according to Bua News, the government news agency.
"The risk and toxicity profile of antiretrovirals needs to be understood in the South African setting, and the complexities associated with various regimens should be continually assessed," Tshabalala-Msimang said.
The new centre, based at the Medical University of South Africa in Ga-Rankuwa outside Pretoria, is due to be fully operational in October.
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