A High Court judge ruled again Monday that the government must provide an AIDS drug to HIV-positive pregnant women while it waits to appeal the decision to the country’s highest court.
Reaffirming an earlier ruling, High Court Judge Chris Botha said the government still has to make the drug nevirapine available at public hospitals nationwide while it awaits a May hearing on appeal before Constitutional Court.
The government had requested permission to appeal to the Constitutional Court against Botha’s order that nevirapine be made immediately available while an appeal on the entire case was pending.
Currently the drug is available only at 18 pilot sites.
Nevirapine is administered to infected pregnant mothers and their newborns to prevent the spread of HIV.
