The primary efficacy endpoint will be the rate of clearance of yeast cells from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) over the first 2 weeks following randomisation. Patients will be followed for 10 weeks, which is conventional in clinical trials in cryptococcal meningitis. After the first 2 weeks of study treatment, all patients will receive fluconazole 800mg/day for 8 further weeks, until the study end. At this point, HIV infected patients will be switched to long term secondary prophylaxis with fluconazole 200mg/day as per standard practice. For HIV uninfected patients, the decision to continue antifungal treatment, and at which dose, will be made on a case by case basis by the attending physician in consultation with the patient.