When you’re looking for ARVs in South Africa, you should know that there are two ways to access the drugs: through the public healthcare system or through the private healthcare system. Both options are available if you want to buy ARVs in South Africa.
In South Africa, you can access ARVs through the public healthcare system, or through the private healthcare system.
The public healthcare system is free-for-all citizens of South Africa. Private healthcare is more expensive and there are no guarantees that people who can’t afford it will be given access to this treatment.
The public healthcare system
The public healthcare system is available to anyone who is a South African citizen. It’s free, but you can pay for private treatment if you want to.
The public healthcare system has no waiting lists and covers most illnesses; however, it may not be suitable for people with HIV/AIDS because there aren’t enough anti-retroviral drugs available in South Africa and the treatment takes a long time to work out.
The private healthcare system
You can buy ARVs from a private doctor, pharmacy, hospital or clinic. Individuals and companies that provide medical services for profit run the private healthcare system in South Africa. If you choose to use the private healthcare system:
- You need to pay for your own treatment costs
- You will usually be treated by a specialist doctor who has been trained in a particular field of medicine
- Your treatment may include tests that are not available through the state healthcare system (these tests may also be more expensive than those offered by state hospitals)
