20/11/2003

Anti-retroviral programme gets R60m boost

An Italian non-governmental organisation (NGO) has pledged its long-term support to fighting Aids in South Africa by administering free anti-retrovirals worth about R60-million a year as part of its international campaign.

The programme, focusing on mother-to-child transmission, also includes the building of Aids laboratories for clinical analyses on high active anti-retroviral therapy (Haart).

The Italian project - Drug and Resources Enhancement against Aids and Malnutrition (Dream) - is in the initial stage of its operations in South Africa and hopes to administer the treatment by early next year.

Dream founder Mario Marazziti said: "We cannot accept the realities of Aids in Africa where an entire continent is dying of the disease. We want to change the trend in Africa by coupling prevention with high active anti-retroviral therapy."

Dream, a branch of the international NGO Community of San' Egidio, has been operating in Africa since May 2002.

Eighty percent of its sponsorship is from Italian bank group Uni-Credit. South Africa is the fifth country to receive assistance from the 40 000-strong body.

Dream also operates in Mozambique, Tanzania, Angola, Malawi and Guinea-Bissau.

Marazziti said the programme consisted of four components that will bring about a rapid decrease in mother-to-child transmissions.

"The first component is home and community care services where we guarantee clinical control at the patient's home, preventing the spread of infection and transmission with Haart.

"The second is mother and child prevention and care implemented in maternity clinics located in areas involved in the programme. We will be restructuring the health centres by introducing a prevention and treatment protocol. Personnel at these centres will also be trained. The objective is not only to save the baby but also the mother. We administer full anti-retroviral therapy from the second three months of pregnancy.

"Component three will focus on the diagnostic capabilities and laboratories needed that will be set up. The fourth component focuses on training and education."

Rukia Cornelius of the Treatment Action Campaign said: "We welcome initiatives from international bodies that support access to anti-retrovirals and speed up the administration of nevirapine to prevent mother-to-child transmissions."

A'eysha Kassiem