South African government "could have prevented" 365,000 HIV/AIDS deaths with ARV drugs

South Africa's government could have prevented the premature deaths of 365,000 people, 35,000 of them babies, in the 2000-2005 period if it had provided antiretroviral drugs to HIV/AIDS patients and adopted viral entry-blockers to help prevent pregnant women from infecting their offspring, according to a new study by US researchers.

The Harvard University report, published in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, concluded that the then President Thabo Mbeki's denial of the viral cause of AIDS was the main cause of the lack of treatment. Mr Mbeki was overthrown by an internal faction fight within the ruling African National Congress in September this year.