Voice of America - November 13, 2006
Catherine Maddux
Washington

The South African health ministry says more than 235,000 HIV infected people are now receiving free AIDS medication, up about 60,000 from the end of June.

The South African government says the increase is quite significant.

Sibani Mngadi, a spokesman for South Africa's Health Ministry, says in June, about 178,000 HIV-infected South Africans were getting free anti-retroviral therapy. When the ministry reviewed its figures in September, officials saw a surprising jump in the numbers.

"We have never heard of any other country that has achieved almost an average of 20,000 people being put on treatment a month," he noted.

A ministry statement says by the end of September a total of 235,378 people were receiving life-prolonging anti-retroviral drugs at 273 licensed hospitals and clinics across the country.

But some question the government's figures. Longtime government critic Mark Heywood of the AIDS Law Project and the Treatment Action Campaign says while activists welcome every increase in the number of people on AIDS drugs, it is unclear how the government arrived at the new figures.

"We still lack a proper system for monitoring the numbers of people on treatment and also for evaluating the benefits for people on treatment," he said. "And the second issue is that even if this is accurate, the increase is still nothing like the total numbers of people who would benefit from being on anti-retroviral treatment, which is estimated to be something like an additional 500,000 people who need treatment."

After years of criticism, the government has recently shifted its policy for treating the estimated 5.4 million people infected with HIV, out of South African's population of 47 million, about 11 percent of the population. That is believed to be the second-highest rate of infection after India.

For years, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, dubbed "Dr. Beetroot" by critics, has been widely condemned by activists for her promotion of a diet rich in beets, garlic and lemons to combat the deadly disease and for publicly expressing mistrust of anti-retrovirals.

After stinging rebukes at the International AIDS Conference in August, South African President Thabo Mbeki appointed his deputy, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, head of a ministerial team on HIV and AIDS. She quickly began holding meetings with activists, notably the Treatment Action Campaign, to help reset national policy.

In addition, South Africa is set to announce a new five year prevention, treatment and care strategy on World AIDS Day, December 1. It is expected to set firm targets for the number of people receiving free anti-retroviral therapy.

But Mark Heywood of the Treatment Action Campaign says what is happening now in the lead up to the announcement is what really matters.

"You know, no targets have been fixed yet. We are meeting with the government. We are busy writing proposals to arrive at realistic programs and targets. And what is said on World Aids Day we will judge on World AIDS Day itself as to whether this is serious or not," said Heywood.

Despite the suspicions of activists, health ministry spokesman Sibani Mngadi says he is confident the number of people who need AIDS drugs in South Africa will continue to rise.

061113
VA061109

Copyright © 2006 - Voice of America. You are welcome to use any material that is published by voanews.com, or you may link to any of the web pages that Voice of America has published on the internet. There is no need to request further permission. Should you wish to establish a link to any VOA web pages, please send your request to pubaff@ibb.gov. We would appreciate that credit for any use of VOA material be given to voanews.com, Voice of America, or VOA, and we ask that you not abridge or edit any VOA material which you may use.

AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted grants from Boehringer Ingelheim, Elton John AIDS Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, Bridgestone Firestone Trust Fund, and donations from users like you. Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2006. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

Copyright ©1980, 2006. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .