The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) said yesterday that it welcomed the historic announcement by the government that a national anti-retroviral programme is to be developed by the end of September.

The union said that it hopes that will swiftly lead to the administration of anti-retroviral drugs in the public sector to all those with Aids.

Cosatu pledged that it would do everything possible to work with government, health professionals and civil society to implement this decision, and build a better healthcare service.

“We do not underestimate the scale of the challenge we face, to treat the five million people who are currently infected, but believe that this is a national emergency requiring a concerted drive by all of us to defeat this epidemic, “said Coastu acting spokesperson Patrick Craven.

The union has demanded that the pharmaceutical companies lower the prices of antiretroviral drugs and speed up the introduction of generic, locally produced drugs, in order to ensure the programme is implemented as quickly and economically as possible.