The Department of Health has still not tied up an agreement with drug manufacturer Boehringer Ingelheim, which would ensure the free supply of its anti-AIDS drug, nevirapine, to South Africa and all other SADC countries for five years.

Government is offering free nevirapine to pregnant HIV positive women in at least two health facilities in all nine provinces in an attempt to reduce their transmission of HIV to their babies.

At present, government is paying for the drug although Boehringer Ingelheim offered to supply it for free over a year ago.

At the time the offer was made, nevirapine was not registered for use in preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission (MTCT). It was registered for this purpose on 18 April, yet no agreement on free delivery of the drug has been hammered out.

Health Department spokesperson Jo-Anne Collinge said there had been talks between Boehringer Ingelheim and her department and she expected an agreement “soon”.

However, as there is no one in the department empowered to negotiate with drug companies other than the Director-General, it is unclear when this may be.

Although there have been many teething problems with the nevirapine programme, all provinces are finally offering the treatment at sites officially described as “pilot sites” with a two-year lifespan.

However, the Treatment Action Campaign this week launched court action against the Health Minister, Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, in a bid to force her to ensure that all public health facilities offer nevirapine to pregnant HIV positive women. The pilot sites only reach about 10% of eligible women, or about 15 of the estimated 150 HIV positive babies born in this country every day.

Nevirapine can reduce the rate of transmission of HIV from mothers to their babies by 40-50%. All it takes is one tablet for the mother while she is in labour, and a spoonful of nevirapine syrup for her baby within 72 hours of birth.