The Treatment Action Campaign set an August 18 deadline for the health department to change its policies on treating pregnant women. After no response, legal action is expected.
Antiretroviral drugs are only available in South Africa on a trial basis at selected sites.
After the big AIDS conference in July, activists had hoped that a shift in policy would take place. The health department has offered several reasons for not providing the drugs, including toxicity and their high price. Buchizya The presidents of South Africa, Malawi, Namibia, and Zimbabwe will meet with United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today to discuss war, debt relief, and AIDS in their countries. They know I understand where they're coming from because I'm Hispanic. Florida recently started funding such community-based programs to help fight HIV among minorities like Hispanics and African Americans.