16/03/2004

HIV/Aids ray of hope announced

There is a ray of hope for millions of people in Africa living with HIV/Aids.

There is a way to treat people with Aids efficiently, virtually free of charge and in a sustainable manner, says Sant'Egidio, an Italian charity organisation that has been working on an innovative Aids project in Mozambique for the past two years.

The organisation is known throughout Africa for its successful mediation in conflict situations such as those in Burundi, Liberia and the Ivory Coast.

In the Mozambique project, referred to as Dream (Drug Resource Enhancement against Aids and Malnutrition), they administer a cheap combination of three substances and make sure the patient eats well and drinks clean water, said Mario Marazziti at a media conference in Johannesburg on Tuesday.

Of the children whose mothers have Aids and received treatment at the 13 Sant'Egidio centres in Mozambique, 95% were born without the disease.

Manufactured a 3-in-1 pill

Marazziti sharply criticised the use of only one antiretroviral. Neverapine is commonly used in South Africa to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

"We are calling on all governments in Africa and international aid organisations to not provide only one part of the therapy.

"In first-world countries, monotherapy led in some cases to a build-up of resistance against three-tiered therapy.

"We are not sure of all the effects of monotherapy, but it could be disastrous," said Marazziti.

Sant'Egidio asked an Indian company to combine a generic version of the three-tiered therapy in one pill, which meant it was easier for illiterate people in poor areas to take the medication.

"People say the therapy does not work because it is too complicated and people in Africa forget to finish the course. We have a 97% success rate with people who continuously use the medication."

At this stage, the therapy costs $300 (R2 010) a year. The additional costs of nutrition, sanitation and treatment of Aids-related diseases amount to $180 (R1 206) and the annual cost of bio-molecular tests is about $320 (R1 144).

Marazziti said: "For about $800 (R5 360) a year, an Aids patient can live and keep living."

Liesl Louw