Chairperson, hon Deputy Minister, in the National Assembly on 21 October 2009 the Minister stated that eight of the nine provinces are likely to run out of antiretrovirals, ARVs, before the end of the financial year. The allocation of R900 million towards the Antiretroviral, Programme is highly welcomed. We certainly do not want to repeat what happened in the Free State when health services were cut in a moratorium when the new ARV initiation was imposed. Many people on the programme did not receive their ARVs for nearly a month; causing treatment interruptions, possible drug resistance, and increased opportunistic infections.
During this period it is estimated that an additional 30 people died per day in the Free State and that the waiting list trebled to 15 000 people. Will the Minister give this House an assurance that the R900 million allocated, which is R300 million less than what was requested, is sufficient for all provinces to provide ARVs to all those that are currently on the programme and those on the waiting list? I thank you.