South Africa to get slice of huge US HIV/AIDS pledge

South Africa stands to receive a minimum of R2-billion to fight HIV/AIDS in 2004 and substantially more over the next five years as part of an initiative led by United States President George Bush to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa.

Bush, who is reportedly planning a visit to South Africa next month, signed the AIDS Act last month committing the US government to "help the people across Africa who are struggling against this disease" through a $15 million payout over five years.

The beneficiaries in Africa are Botswana, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. Haiti and Guyana in the Caribbean will also benefit. Nearly $10-billion (about R80-billion) over five years will be directed to the 14 nations.

The amount is over and above the R2-billion earmarked for the same nations. South Africa would get more than R1,7 billion in 2004 for HIV/AIDS prevention.

"The details of the initiative have still got to be worked out, but South Africa is definitely on the list and will receive funding over and above any other monies pledged," said Judy Moon, the US embassy spokesperson in South Africa.

She said the initiative to combat HIV/AIDS in Africa gained ground last month after it was passed as law by the US congress.

To ensure accountability for the results, Bush will create a high-level special co-ordinator for international HIV/AIDS assistance within the state department. The person will have the rank of ambassador and report to Colin Powell, the US secretary of state

Moon said Bush had made fighting the HIV/AIDS pandemic a priority of US foreign policy. In his state of the nation address in January, he had spoken about the global campaign against HIV/AIDS.

She added that Bush had wanted the law passed before attending last week's Group of Eight summit in Evian, France so that he could harness support from European countries. "He feels passionate about HIV/AIDS and is determined to ensure the US plays a role in making a difference."

Jo-Anne Collinge, speaking for the national department of health, said details of how South Africa would benefit would be known after a meeting with the US health attache in Pretoria.

"Nobody has given us any figures - what we receive would be contingent upon us applying," she said.

Collinge added that in the current financial year the national health department had set aside R666-million for spending on HIV/AIDS. The bulk of the money would go to provinces for campaigns targeting youth, the introduction of AZT for sexual assault survivors, provision of step-down facilities, expansion of counselling and testing services, development of home-based care and mass media campaigns.

She said provinces would receive allocations from the R666-million through conditional grants, adding that the education and social welfare departments had their own budgets for combating HIV/AIDS.

In addition, the government allocates money for HIV/AIDS to be shared provincially, with this year's figure standing over R1,13-billion. Next year's allocation will be R1,98-billion.

Last week in Gauteng, Gwen Ramakgopa, the health MEC, said that her department had increased its HIV/AIDS budget by 78 percent.

"There is now 100 percent coverage in Gauteng for HIV-positive pregnant women, and by the end of this financial year all antenatal clinics will provide the prevention of mother to child transmission programme."

Last year 47 000 women entered the programme and 11 736 babies in Gauteng received Nevirapine.

The Bush initiative is aimed at providing treatment or advanced antiretroviral drugs through clinics in urban and rural communities.

Bush is committed to ensuring that African and other developing countries have greater access to emergency life-saving pharmaceuticals, including advanced antiretroviral drugs and test kits.