“80% HIV/Aids patients getting free pills”

Payment is only reserved for people who have an income of more than Rwf 50,000 ($88) – and who are required to pay only Rwf 5,000 ($9) monthly, according to Dr. Jules Mugabo of TRAC Plus.

However, he said that when somebody makes this payment, all members of the family infected with the virus benefit from this single payment.

“This means that between 70 and 80 percent of patients in the country are getting the treatment free of charge,” he told state radio.

Latest figures show that 2percent are joining the therapy every month – which is positioning Rwanda as one of the few countries headed for universal treatment of all those who need it. At the moment, coverage is at 70%.

The pills are imported from India and Canada.