Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2003. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2003. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Reuters NewMedia - Wednesday November 12, 2003
Gordon Bell
Finance Minister Trevor Manuel said the government would spend more than $1.7 billion over the next three years, with $270 million earmarked to launch the roll-out of a national anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment program.
"Starting next year and the two successive years the amounts have been increased, I think we are talking about a total of 12 billion rand ($1.73 billion)," Manuel told reporters Wednesday prior to unveiling the medium term budget in Parliament.
This compares with an estimated $480 million spent between 2001/02 financial year to the current 2003/04 year. Treasury officials said the funds allocated for the roll-out of the life-prolonging ARV drugs was new money.
"This is good news. It's a positive signal which does suggest to me that the government is going to spend almost as much as it does on black economic empowerment. It's become a government priority," said Professor Tom Lodge of the University of Witwatersrand.
South Africa has the highest HIV/AIDS caseload in the world -- an estimated 5.3 million, equivalent to more than 12 percent of the population of 45 million.
But health activists have accused the government of dragging its feet, with President Thabo Mbeki and Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang criticized for failing to grasp how serious the crisis is.
Under growing local and international pressure to respond more aggressively and avert possible long-term economic decline, President Thabo Mbeki's government approved a universal ARV roll-out in August in principle and ordered health officials to finalize an operational plan.
Wednesday, the cabinet said it had noted that the Treasury had allocated the resources required to implement the treatment program.
A cabinet meeting scheduled for next week is now expected to give the final go-ahead for the operational plan.
"Planning for implementation of a national anti-retroviral program is at an advanced stage, and procurement teams are exploring mechanisms to reduce the unit costs of treatment further," the National Treasury said.
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