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KENYA: GOVERNMENT CHEAPENS AIDS DRUGS FOR CITIZENS January 9, 2006
Apunyu Bonny
(SomaliNet) Kenyan government has provided a new hope for its citizens living with HIV/Aids by reducing the cost of anti-retroviral drugs. Reports the standard, Monday.
Kenya’s President Kibaki last Friday in a cabinet meeting approved the move to lower the cost of ARVs from Sh500 to Sh100 a month.
Nearly 60,000 Kenyans, out of a target of 95,000, by the end of 2005 had been put on free ARVs treatment in public hospitals, but the Cabinet said there were plans to increase the number.
Kenya’s Health minister Charity Ngilu, said Friday that 140,000 HIV positive people would be put on treatment by December.
The cabinet meeting noted that the Government was determined to cater for the welfare of the Kenyans living with HIV/Aids by providing them with the drugs at a lower price.
President Kibaki speaking last year during thelaunch of an Action Aid programme on HIV/Aids, said the Government would consider lowering the cost of the drug. He said the Cabinet would look at a proposal from the Ministry of Health requesting the approval for the lowering of the price of the drugs.