Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2000. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
PRNewswire - Saturday December 2, 2000
"Two hundred newborns today will contract HIV because the South African government refuses to approve nevirapine -- a medication that reduces infection to only 13%," said Michael Weinstein, President of Los Angeles-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation. "What makes this more shocking is the government's refusal to accept the medication free from the manufacturer," said Weinstein. AIDS Healthcare Foundation is the largest community-based provider of AIDS care in the U.S.
Nevirapine's manufacturer -- Boehringer Ingelheim -- has offered free medication to women in developing nations at the government's request. Although both the Republic of Congo and Senegal have accepted the offer, South Africa has not.
"One in ten South Africans now lives with HIV/AIDS," said South African activist Nomaswazi Mlaba of the National AIDS Convention of South Africa (NACOSA). "We join with our fellow activists in the United States and call on the government to act immediately."
The groups also published a full-page advertisement in the New York Times, which was presented during today's protest to the acting South African consul in Los Angeles, Albert van Rensburg. In a meeting following the protest, Van Rensburg said that while he had no information on the nevirapine issue, he would schedule a meeting with the South African ambassador in Washington D.C. next week.
Much controversy has surrounded South African President Thabo Mbeki's public statements questioning HIV's role in causing AIDS. During the meeting the activists respectfully challenged Van Rensburg's assertion that Mbeki's statements had a positive impact since they generated international attention to South Africa's AIDS crisis. Activists noted that the president's statements have caused a drastic decline in condom distribution and therefore HIV prevention. For media information, please contact Ged Kenslea, AHF Community Relations Director, (323) 860-5225 or pager (213) 209-8123.
SOURCE: AIDS Healthcare Foundation
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