Free AIDS drugs in Malawi

BLANTYRE – Malawi, where AIDS has cut life expectancy to 36, yesterday launched its first programme to provide free anti-retroviral drugs, hoping to reach tens of thousands of HIV sufferers in the next five years.

Health Minister Yusuf Mwawa said the free drugs programme “at long last will open doors of hope for those who have all too long been living with the despair infected by the HIV/AIDS scourge.” Anti-retrovirals are “life-saving and have changed the face of AIDS from that of a fatal disease into a chronic condition,” he said. Mwawa said that Malawi, which only launched its policy on HIV-AIDS earlier this year, was still in the midst of a “devastating epidemic” in the poor southern African country of 12 million people.”Malawi, with its relatively tiny population, has almost as many HIV-infected people as the United States of America and Canada combined,” he said.An estimated 900 000 people have HIV in Malawi, according to UN statistics.Mwawa said a “massive army” of 85 000 die every year from AIDS-related illnesses.Malawi has received US$9.5 million from the Global Fund for anti-retroviral drugs this year, Mwawa said.The Fund has bankrolled the country’s AIDS programme to the tune of US$196 million over five years from 2004.He said four major hospitals will start dispensing the drugs, reaching 50 outlets by July, including hospitals of the Malawi army and police, where HIV-AIDS has also hit hard.- Nampa-AFPMwawa said that Malawi, which only launched its policy on HIV-AIDS earlier this year, was still in the midst of a “devastating epidemic” in the poor southern African country of 12 million people.”Malawi, with its relatively tiny population, has almost as many HIV-infected people as the United States of America and Canada combined,” he said.An estimated 900 000 people have HIV in Malawi, according to UN statistics.Mwawa said a “massive army” of 85 000 die every year from AIDS-related illnesses.Malawi has received US$9.5 million from the Global Fund for anti-retroviral drugs this year, Mwawa said.The Fund has bankrolled the country’s AIDS programme to the tune of US$196 million over five years from 2004.He said four major hospitals will start dispensing the drugs, reaching 50 outlets by July, including hospitals of the Malawi army and police, where HIV-AIDS has also hit hard.- Nampa-AFP