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Budget throws lifeline to HIV-positive masses
Christelle Terreblanche. Daily News. 26 February 2003. Republished courtesy of Independent Newspapers (Pty) Ltd.
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Spending on HIV/AIDS has started taking up its rightful place this year in the Budget, with the full roll-out of medicines to prevent mother-to-child infection and for rape survivors.
Most significantly, nearly R2-billion is provisionally budgeted for anti-retroviral treatment for HIV-infected people, pending a decision by a government task team on universal access to medicines.
This is contained in a Budget with overall higher than projected social spending, allowed by a higher Budget deficit of between 2% and 2,5% of GDP, up from 1,4% this year.
Spending grows 6,8% in real terms, Manuel announced, "building on the expansionary stance" of the past two budgets.
The bulk of the main Budget is primarily aimed at reducing poverty, with increased spending on social grants, medicines and hospital buildings, while it reinforces "growth-orientated" spending programmes.
Over the next three years the spending signals a "marked shift" in favour of provincial and local government spending.
The provincial share of the Budget rises with about 6,1% to 57,6% (R3,8-billion more than estimated in the medium term statement) and the share going to municipalities grows by 12,2% to 4,4% over the medium-term period.
The additional amount budgeted for HIV/AIDS is R3,3-billion more over three years, starting with R1,9-billion this year to make provision for the possible universal roll-out of medicines to HIV/AIDS sufferers.
This is pending a decision by the joint treasury and health committee bilateral task team on affordable universal access, due within weeks.
Additional amounts have also been allocated for the next two financial years, pending their decision.
This brings the total accumulative budget for HIV/AIDS to R8,3-billion over three years, which will also make provision for the strengthening of the health sector in general to bear the additional load of the pandemic.
After tentative steps with test sites last year, this Budget contains funding for the full roll-out of anti-retroviral medicines to prevent mother to child transmission, with about R200-million allocated a year, and R16-million a year to treat rape survivors. |
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