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Criteria announced for AIDS drug rollout

    JOHANNESBURG

    The Zambian government has announced criteria for determining which of the country's HIV-positive people will benefit from a free HIV/AIDS drug rollout.

    Health Minister Brian Chituwo said in a statement that the new criteria were to be implemented following concerns that the drugs appeared to have been available only to "privileged people".

    In 2002 the government said some 10,000 people living with HIV/AIDS would receive free antiretroviral drugs through nine provincial treatment centres.

    Chituwo said the criteria would ensure that those needing the drugs could access them on "a first come first served basis".

    It is estimated that some 200,000 of the country's people are currently living with HIV/AIDS.

    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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