South Africa Reverses Policy On HIV Treatments To Stave Off Deaths

December 1, 2009 10:56 a.m. EST

Cape Town, South Africa (AHN) - Cape Town, South Africa announced a major policy overhaul with South African President Jacob Zuma saying that all South African babies under 1-year-old will be treated if they test HIV-positive. The announcement came during an address marking World AIDS Day.

During the speech Jacobs promised more anti-retroviral prescription drugs. The announcement ended speculation that the life extending drugs would not be available. Previously government said were too expensive and potentially harmful.

In a move to further advocate HIV testing for the world's population, Jacobs announced he was preparing to take an HIV test himself.

Each year in South Africa 59,000 babies are born with HIV. Sadly South Africa is the country with the highest amount of people infected with the virus. Recent estimates place 5.2 million people there living with the virus.

Zuma's speech is a decidedly 180 degree turn from previous government doctrines. Former president Thabo Mbeki's administration denied the link between HIV and AIDS. His critics have tied him to the deaths of nearly 300,000 deaths by not rolling out anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) to people with HIV quickly enough.

Furthermore his government's highly inflammatory are careless statements on HIV and AIDS went against the advice of the world's major health organizations.