title: South Africa: highest court orders government to provide antiretrovirals to prevent mother-to-child transmission.
abstract: On 5 July 2002, South African treatment activists won a significant victory when the Constitutional Court ordered the South African government to make the antiretroviral drug nevirapine available in public hospitals and clinics for the purposes of preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV. The Court also ruled the government has a constitutional obligation to implement a program to realize the right of pregnant women and their newborn children to access health services to prevent transmission.
authors.forename: Liesl
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gerntholtz
mesh_terms: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000600:supply & distribution* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006806:Human Rights; D006801:Humans; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013019:South Africa
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents