South Africa will not pay for antiretroviral therapy

South Africa's health minister has dashed any remaining hopes that her government will provide antiretroviral treatment for the estimated five million people who are infected with HIV.

Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang has told parliament again, and repeated in several group meetings, that her government cannot afford the drugs regardless of how low the price goes. She repeated the government's view that the infrastructure necessary to deliver the treatment is not uniformly available, and she expressed the government's continuing fears of “toxicity” and the development of resistance. The government is also afraid that patients taking the treatment will not fully comply with …