AEGiS-AFROL: Increased critiques against South African AIDS policy

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2003. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Increased critiques against South African AIDS policy

afrol News - February 12, 2003

The South African government is now even criticised by the United States for its alleged failure to address the AIDS pandemic. These foreign critiques come in addition to resignation in South Africa. On Friday, trade unions are to demonstrate against government inaction.

The US ambassador to South Africa, Cameron Hume, in a speech condemned the country's modest reactions to the lethal disease, which by now has infected approximately 12 percent of South Africa's total population. He specially emphasised that South Africa did not even manage to spend the budgeted amounts earmarked to fight the AIDS pandemic.

Referring to the new American multibillion dollar programme to fight the spread of HIV and AIDS in developing countries, the ambassador doubted the usefulness of channelling substantial US funds to South Africa. The Pretoria government on the other hand had earmarked rand 1.7 billion rand (US$ 200 million) in its fight against AIDS this year, something Mr Hume it would have a problem spending, given the very limited government programmes against the pandemic.

South African civil rights organisations and trade unions are also increasingly sceptical towards government efforts. A legal dispute, lasting years, between the government and the AIDS organisations Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) last year had concluded in a verdict obliging government to start distributing free or subsidised medicines hindering mother to unborn child infections. The drug Nevirapine is available for free distribution in developing countries contacting the producer.

President Thabo Mbeki last year also had promised a strong government reaction to the poverty and malnutrition that often is a consequence of an HIV infection; government was to take responsibility for providing food aid to HIV patients. The AIDS strategy also included enhanced efforts on awareness campaigns, treatment of related infections and research.

According to local organisations, the government has however been too slow to implement these strategies, something that has led TAC and trade unions to take to the streets again. On Friday, they are to lead the masses in a march against the provincial parliament of Cape Town, demanding "government has to follow up on its promises."

But also the US programme against the spread of HIV in developing countries is criticised by South African activists. There are a large number of organisations and persons doing a tremendous effort to fight the disease in the country, but these do not receive external funding. All US support in South Africa's fight against AIDS is channelled through the government, despite US critiques.

The Cape Town protest march therefore also is to pass by the American consulate in the city and express its disapproval of the limited and poorly directed US support in the fight against AIDS. TAC says the group is "concerned about the increased efforts to prepare for war by the Bush administration, especially while it at the same time is channelling little funds and leadership" in the global fight against AIDS and poverty.

It is estimated that almost 5 million South African already are infected by the virus causing AIDS. In the south-eastern province of KwaZulu-Natal, around 40 percent of women giving birth are believed to be HIV infected. Only in this province, 40,000 babies were born with HIV in 2001. With available medicines, half of these children could have been born healthy.

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