Ethiopia gives free Aids drugs
2005-10-05 11:49
Addis Ababa - Ethiopia disclosed on Wednesday that it has finalised arrangements to provide the long-awaited free anti- retroviral drugs (ART) to Aids patients, regardless of the income status of the individual.
The Ministry of Health said clearance had been given to selected government hospitals and rural health care centres throughout the country to implement the provisions for providing free ART to Aids patients based on their clinical eligibility.
Up to now the drug had to be purchased by most of the more than 1.5m Ethiopians living with Aids.
Only a few thousand who had been certified as being unable to pay for the drug were provided ART for free in selected health institutions.
About 9 000 patients have been receiving free ART dispensed through about 60 government health centres in the country, said the statement.
The ministry said it had now withdrawn requirements for Aids patients to first be certified as unable to pay in order to qualify for free ART medicines.
Aids sufferers may now be able to receive the drugs from about 100 health centres, 40 of them newly-authorised.
The programme is supported by the United Nations agency fighting the pandemic in the country, UNAIDS. - dpa
- SAPA