JOHANNESBURG, Aug 6 (AFP) - South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) refused to buckle under mounting pressure at a national AIDS conference this week to provide free anti-AIDS drugs -- despite nearly 1,000 sufferers dying per day.
Additionally, the government was unlikely to announce a rollout of a national treatment plan before next year's general elections, ignoring an emerging generation of AIDS voters, a political analyst said.
The ANC government walked into a barrage of criticism the past four days as activists, the church, the media and a high-profile judge spoke out against its failure to roll out a national treatment plan.
The theme dominated the AIDS conference, hosted by local activists and business leaders, which came to an end Wednesday afternoon in the east coast city of Durban.
A threat by the Medicines Control Council to ban the use of the antiretoviral drug nevirapine, used to reduce the mother-to-child transmission of HIV -- and endorsed by UN agencies -- proved to be another conspicuous issue.
Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang told delegates the administration of anti-AIDS drugs was not a simple task.
"Some say that providing ARVs (antiretrovirals) is as simple as administering an aspirin. We say, no, this is not true. Whilst ARVs have an important role in the management of AIDS, the administration needs to be taken into account along with a whole variety of other factors.
"I submit that the provision of antiretrovirals in the public sector is a subject that must be considered soberly and the government is doing so," Tshabalala-Msimang said.
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 from AIDS in South Africa in 2001 -- 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 the mortality rate to rise rapidly.
South African Deputy President Jacob Zuma said the government was "in the process" of dealing with the pandemic.
"Some people sometimes feel that the government is not caring for people that are infected with HIV and AIDS by not providing them with antiretroviral therapy," he said.
"We are process of finalising several international agreements that will ensure medication to the many people infected with HIV/AIDS," Zuma said, without providing time frames.
AIDS campaigner Prudence Mabele urged the government to take immediate action.
"This is not a political game, we are suffering, we are angry, we want access to treatment now," she said to loud applause.
"We will probably see the government supplying anti-AIDS drugs before the election next year, but in this time people are dying. There have been 900 TAC (AIDS lobby group Treatment Action Campaign) members who have died while waiting for drugs," Mabele added.
TAC chairman Zackie Achmat said the ANC would do itself enormous harm if it did not have a treament plan in place by election-time early next year.
"AIDS has become a political issue, because everyone that is infected needs access to anti-AIDS drugs," he said.
Judge Edwin Cameron, Justice of the Supreme Court of Appeal who is HIV-positive, said definite time frames should be set to ensure a rollout.
"What South Africa requires is a holistic and comprehensive policy that includes attention to all aspects of physical well-being -- naturally encompassing nutrition and overall health care, but also including the public provision of appropriate medications," he said.
Political analyst Susan Booysen, of the University of Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape province, said she doubted whether the government would budge.
"I certainly think the pressure is mounting. If you look specifically at the conference the unequivocal message is that we are entering the death phase of the disease," Booysen told AFP.
"But, the ANC, it seems, is not sufficiently taking into account the extent to which we are dealing with a generation of AIDS voters ... and also friends and family who are suffering from AIDS.
"The ANC thinks its a policy issue, not a voter issue."
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