Setting a Bad Example on AIDS

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1998. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Setting a Bad Example on AIDS

Nature (12/17/98) Vol. 396, No. 6712, P. 603

In South Africa, there are an estimated 1,500 new HIV infections daily and 16 percent of pregnant women carry the virus. While the country has engaged the problem, there has been recent backlash to health minister Nkosazana Zuma's decision not to allow the use of government funds on AZT for pregnant women, even though the treatment can help reduce mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Zuma claims that the money would be better spent on prevention efforts since, in theory, the same amount could prevent more than just one infection. Another reason for the actions appears to be a distrust of some Western biomedical practices, according to a Nature editorial. Zuma may be reluctant to back profit-driven pharmaceutical companies. The situation has prompted some researchers to contemplate boycotting the next international AIDS conference in Durban in 2000.

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