AIDS Activists Call For Health Minister's Resignation, South Africa

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Main Category: HIV / AIDS
Article Date: 18 Aug 2006 - 12:00 PDT

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South Africa's Health Minister, Manto Tshabalala Msimang has become the target of AIDS activists who accuse her of carrying out policies which are costing human lives. The Treatment Action Campaign accused her of allowing a prisoner to die in Durban - he had AIDS. The man, and 14 other prisoners, had recently won a court case which ruled they should receive antiretroviral drugs - the case was against the Department of Correctional Services and Department of Health.

She has also been criticized for using the 16th International AIDS Conference in Toronto to promote lemons, beet and garlic as effective alternative treatments for combating HIV/AIDS.

Activists occupied several government offices in South Africa, as well as the offices of the Human Rights Commission.

The media has given Manto Tshabalala-Msimang a rough time during the AIDS conference in Toronto this week. She has hit back, saying the South African stand, which prominently displays her anti HIV remedy of garlic, lemon and beetroot, aims to show that people should be given the choice between using medicines or nutrition.

Manto Tshabalala-Msimang said "I just move around and people say that our stall is great. We haven't shocked the world, we've told them the truth. I don't mind to be called Dr Beetroot. You can't tell me at this stage I must abandon what I learnt as a medical student."

When journalists asked why antiretroviral drugs were not displayed alongside the vegetables, pills were suddenly rushed to accompany the display.

The Health Minister then added that she is used to having South Africa criticised during these international conferences. South Africa forced the world to consider nutrition as an option in the HIV/AIDS fight, she said.

Offering choices is commendable. However, if prisoners have to take the government to court to get treatment, it does not seem that choice is, in fact, being offered.

Over 12% of HIV positive people worldwide are in South Africa, but the country has only 0.68% of the world's population. The country has 5.5 million people living with HIV, out of a total population of 44 million - that means 12.5% of the population is infected with HIV. According to UNAIDS, 19% of 15-49 year old people in South Africa are infected with HIV.

Manto Tshabalala-Msimang has been South Africa's Health Minister since June,1999.

Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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