On the surface this seems like a miracle. We don't have to think back that far when we can recall that the drug companies wouldn't supply the drugs at a discount.
But is it a hollow promise? One that gives hope that is at best illusory? One has to be hopeful but cynical.
These drugs do not cure Aids, they buy time. A person taking these drugs in the correct manner can possibly expect to live a near normal life possibly for 20 years or more.
If this occurs then there is a significant benefit to the children and to society as a whole.
The crumbling of societal infrastructure could be stopped and this would allow the children to grow up in a "normalised" home environment with their parents.
This would enable the rebuilding of the society structure, providing a safer, nurturing environment for the children to grow and develop.
It would also stop the eroding through death of the public service, police service, teaching profession, military etc.
A significant problem is that due to the stigma of Aids, people are reluctant to admit that they have it. This is due to the fact that society judges them as being promiscuous and for this women are beaten, stoned and killed.
If Aids cannot be admitted than there is little hope that those infected will offer themselves up for treatment.
Another issue is that there are so many people infected that there may not be enough antiretroviral drugs to provide the solution.
Here the statistics are at issue and it is based on the statistics that the number of those infected and the promise of free drugs has been made.
In South Africa the people need to be registered with identity papers to be considered as existing. Unfortunately there are many who do not have such registration as they have either come across the border illegally or were perhaps born in circumstances which did not allow registration. Given the conditions in which they live, and their tendency to move around the country, those with such documents usually don't retain them for long.
In order to receive these life extending drugs, the people must attend a doctor at a hospital for diagnosis and regular monitoring.
The majority of the infected live in the rural communities far from hospitals, without the funds to access public transport and many are too sick to travel. This creates an organisational dilemma of enormous proportions.
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