MOZAMBIQUE: Up to 30,000 people in Mozambique suffering from HIV/Aids will receive life-saving drugs by the end of this year paid for by the Government in alliance with former US president Bill Clinton.
Ten thousand people were receiving the retroviral drugs by the end of March and 1,500 more are being added to the list every month as the programme exceeds its own targets.
The drugs have been bought for a fraction of their usual price following negotiations between Mr Clinton and the world's biggest pharmaceutical companies.
The drugs used to cost $15,000 per year per patient, but now cost just $140 per year for patients in 40 Third World countries targeted by the Clinton Foundation, which will receive €50 million from the Government between 2003 and 2007.
Nearly one in seven adults are afflicted with the disease in Mozambique and there are 500 new infections every day.
Mozambique is the biggest beneficiary of Irish aid, receiving €15 million this year just for Aids treatment, as well as €24 million for other health projects.
Mr Clinton yesterday toured a number of projects funded by Ireland, accompanied by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Conor Lenihan.
Though recent economic growth has been running at 8 per cent, Mozambique is ranked as the 171st poorest country out of 177 in the world.
"We are very positive about Mozambique. It isn't just about Aids. They have good growth figures, reasonably good elections. It is one of the success stories," Mr Lenihan said, speaking by telephone from the city of Beira.
Though Irish aid is playing a key role in the country, he said the future lay with developing trade links between the two countries, along the lines of the efforts already under way in Uganda.