World leaders announce new efforts on AIDS

World leaders have announced plans to improve AIDS treatment among the world's poor.

World leaders have announced plans to improve AIDS treatment among the world's poor.

Nigeria's government has announced a programme that is being hailed one of the most ambitious to date in Africa.

In the next year, the government aims to distribute free generic drugs to 10,000 adult AIDS sufferers and 5,000 children.

It will start the distribution on December 10th.

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Nigeria, Thailand and the Europe Union have all announced plans to tackle the virus that has caused 3 million deaths this year. The announcements come ahead of World AIDS Day, on December 1st.

Around 40 million people worldwide are thought to be infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. 28 million of them live in Africa.

In Brussels, EU trade chief Mr Pascal Lamy pledged to help poorer nations fight AIDS by taking advantage of an international agreement to make drugs cheaper.

Mr Lamy said the EU would "do all in its power to make sure that safe affordable drugs are available to all who need them, especially in the world's poorer countries."

PA