S. Africa increases spending on AIDS drugs

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CAPE TOWN, South Africa (Reuters) -- South Africa, which has more people suffering from HIV/AIDS than any other country, has increased the money it will provide for drugs to fight the killer disease.

Finance Minister Trevor Manuel allocated Wednesday $320 million over three years for programs to roll out drugs in the public sector, after the government decided in November to offer antiretroviral treatment to state HIV/AIDS patients.

South Africa has the world's single highest HIV/AIDS caseload, with more than 5 million of its 45 million people infected with the virus.

Activists, who mounted an angry public campaign to persuade the government to begin public treatment, say delays in starting the antiretroviral drug program are costing thousands of lives.

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