Anti-retroviral therapy cost on average $3,000 (US) annually. This is just for the therapy to treat HIV/AIDS this number does not include the cost of AIDS related illnesses and operations. If you were to treat 100% of those eligible for this type of treatment in South Africa, the cost is over 15 billion dollars annually. This dollar figure reflects only the cost of the actual drug. The other cost factor and challenge that remains uncalculated is the recruitment and training of people required to deliver the treatment. Although this treatment is effective in its own way the issue of affordability remains. It is not affordable because of the sheer number of people needing Anti-retroviral therapy.

As the number of people with AIDS grows, so will the costs of care.

Increases in pediatric admissions in general over the past few years are significant and entirely attributable to HIV/AIDS . In areas of the country with very high rates of infection, up to 75% of beds in the children’s wards are occupied by children with AIDS related conditions. As the epidemic progresses and more HIV+ people develop AIDS, the impact on the health sector will grow exponentially. Rationing of services for HIV+ children in healthcare facilities has already begun, with HIV+ children being denied access to intensive care units in some provinces. Many HIV+ children are also diagnosed early as “rapid progressors” and denied access to medication on the assumption that the medication will do little to extend their life.

South Africa has been contending with an exodus of doctors for some time .The IMF estimates that if the current number of doctors and nurses remains constant--and assuming that HIV prevalence among health sector staff is similar to those of the general population--training of doctors and nurses will have to increase by 25 to 40 percent to meet demand for health services.