Free Aids drugs for Ethiopia

Addis Ababa - The Ethiopian government and US drug giant Pfizer on Friday signed a partnership agreement to provide free medicines to Aids sufferers in the Horn of Africa country, the health ministry said.

Under the deal, Pfizer will provide 50 000 Diflucan tablets to treat Cryptococcus Meningitis and Esophageal Cadidasis infections, common among Aids patients. The government will distribute the drugs.

An estimated three million Ethiopians are infected with the HIV virus that causes Aids, according to figures for the year 2000 from the UN's Aids agency.

"The programme will also open an opportunity to move forward and step-up public-private sector partnership in response to one of the daunting public health problems in Ethiopia," said Alemayehu Seifu, a health ministry official.

"More than 50 000 Diflucan tables donated by Pfizer will be given for free at 16 selected public hospitals providing care and treatment to Aids patients," he added.

"Pfizer believes that partnership with governments is not only a business imperative but also a moral obligation... we need to share our innovations with the communities we serve, every day, to make the people's lives better," said Konji Sebati, the medical director of Pfizer's philanthropy department.

Thank you, Konji