US gives Zimbabwe US$18 million for HIV/Aids drugs

US gives Zimbabwe US$18 million for HIV/Aids drugs

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By Lebo Nkatazo

THE United States government will provide antiretroviral (ARV) drugs for 40,000 Zimbabweans living with HIV and AIDS, as well as HIV rapid test kits for the next three years, a joint statement by U.S. Ambassador Christopher Dell and Zimbabwe ’s Minister of Health and Child Welfare, David Parirenyatwa said.

The announcement followed a meeting Thursday between Dell and the health minister.

“Teams from the Minister of Health and the American Embassy are meeting to finalise the details of the United States government’s contribution and it is expected that the drugs could be made available to Zimbabweans in a matter of weeks,” the statement said.

The drugs and test kits worth US$6 million per year, brings the total United States contribution to HIV and AIDS prevention, care, and treatment in Zimbabwe to US$31 million, the two governments said.

The US government and Zimbabwe estimate that the agreement could lead to approximately US$5 million worth of ARV drugs provided every year to about 40,000 people who are already registered in ARV programs for purposes of guaranteeing regular and reliable access to the life-saving drugs.

Currently 56 000 people are on the ARV programme in a country in which 365 000 require the drugs that are currently in short supply.

Dell said: “I am extremely pleased to announce this new contribution in support of the government of Zimbabwe’s national HIV and AID S program. It is the culmination of the many months of work and the fruits of a long term, cooperative relationship with the ministry in the field of HIV and AID S.”

“As I will soon depart Zimbabwe, it is particularly gratifying to know that I leave behind a program that will make such a huge difference to the lives of so many Zimbabweans.”

The southern African country is among the worst hit by the epidemic, which kills more than 3,000 people every week and accounts for 70 percent of hospital admissions.

Zimbabwe, despite its deep recession, has also become one of the few places on the continent where the HIV prevalence rate has gone down. It has declined to 18.1 percent last year from 25 percent six years ago.

However, Zimbabwe's drive to increase access to ARVs has been hampered by a severe shortage of foreign currency, itself a sign of an economic crisis that has pushed inflation past 3,700 percent.
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