The Political Economy of Antiretroviral Drugs in Zambia

Abstract

AbstractAccording to the 2005 United Nations Programe on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the World Health Organization (WHO) Report, Zambia has one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS cases in Southern Africa as well as in the world. However, it is also one of the few countries that have recorded a drop in the infection rates from an estimated 26% of the population in 2000 to just fewer than 16% in 2005. There appears to be a general consensus that the availability and free provision of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) and treatment have raised hope that the recipients will live a longer, improved, and productive life. This paper will attempt to assess the major challenges to scaling-up antiretroviral therapy in Zambia. It argues that, while the government has made some progress in scaling-up access to ARVs, there is still much to be done.