South Africa: Budget increase for HIV/AIDS treatment

The Soth African Treasury has made a significant addition to the government’s budget for HIV/AIDS programmes in anticipation of meeting its target of providing treatment to 80% of those in need by 2011, writes AllAfrica. Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan announced yesterday an extra R900m for providing AIDS drugs in state health facilities for the rest of the fiscal year. The money will help meet the 1 billion Rand shortfall acknowledged last month by Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi. “We think the R900m is a very substantial allocation which will go a long way to addressing this shortfall,” declared Mark Bletcher, the Treasury director for health policy.