DURBAN, South Africa, Aug 6 (AFP) - An AIDS conference here ended on an emotional note Wednesday after four days of vicious attacks on the government for stalling with anti-AIDS treatment that could save five million lives.
The four-day symposium in the east coast city of Durban was meant to bring business, scientists and communities together, but was overshadowed by a war of words between the state and AIDS campaigners.
The South African government came under an avalanche of criticism for failing to roll out a national plan to help AIDS sufferers and for choosing to focus on "nutritious diets" as a way to fight the disease for those infected.
The Medicines Control Council (MCC) is threatening to ban the antiretroviral drug nevirapine, used to reduce mother-to-child transmission of HIV -- even though UN agencies endorse the medicine.
UNAIDS estimates that some five million South Africans are suffering from HIV/AIDS in a population of 44 million -- placing the country amongst the most affected in the world.
The UN agency said some 360,000 people died in 2001 from AIDS in South Africa -- an average of nearly 1,000 per day.
On Monday scientists warned that South Africa was entering a "death phase" of the disease and should expect a rapidly rising mortality rate.
Zackie Achmat, chairman of the AIDS lobby group Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), accused the government of committing crimes against humanity.
"I am very disappointed that the prevention and treatment aspects of AIDS and HIV were not discussed in more detail. This is a topic that is very serious and needs a good deal of attention," Achmat said after the event ended.
"AIDS has become a political issue, because everyone that is infected needs access to anti-AIDS drugs," he said ealier.
An HIV-positive woman tearfully pleaded to the government to provide anti-AIDS drugs.
"This is not a political game. We are suffering, we are angry, we want access to treatment now," an emotional Prudence Mabele said at the closing ceremony.
"I want to have a baby, but I can only do it when nevirapine is available," she said before receiving a standing ovation.
MCC Registrar Precious Matsoso attempted to explain why the council was considering banning nevirapine, saying it was concerned over the safety, quality and efficacy on the drug.
"The drugs manufacturers, Bohringer Ingelheim, have been given 90 days to supply us with clinical information about how well it works. We need to sit down with their researchers and discuss what is going to happen on day 91."
In an editorial on Wednesday, the Cape Town-based newspaper Die Burger called for an end to the government's "insanity" over AIDS.
The commentary was carried on the front page of the paper instead of the editorial pages, in "the strongest form of protest available to us to express the concern and disapproval of our editorial staff and our readers over the government's handling of the crisis," editor Arrie Rossouw explained.
The Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, Njongonkulu Ndungane, has also criticised the government's approach to the disease.
"The AIDS pandemic has become a world disgrace as serious as apartheid," Ndungane said at a media briefing in Cape Town.
On Tuesday, the ANC in the KwaZulu-Natal province urged all "patriotic South Africans" to ignore the TAC's call to embark on a civil disobedience campaign to pressurise the government into rolling out a national treatment plan.
In reaction, Achmat said he wished the ruling African National Congress (ANC) had the courage to tell their leader, South African President Thabo Mbeki, that he was wrong about AIDS. Achmat added that the government preferred to advocate traditional medicines as treatment instead of anti-retrovirals.
"I wish the ANC had the courage to tell President Mbeki what they really feel," he said.
The health minister said at the opening of the conference the accusations of the government committing genocide were ill-advised.
"This is an irresponsible statement and one that is politically dangerous," Tshabalala-Msimang said.
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