Health DG no show at TAC conference
The national HIV/AIDS treatment campaign, which began in Durban last night (27TH), was dealt a blow by the withdrawal of health director general Dr Ayanda Ntsaluba as a keynote speaker.
Ntsaluba was due to address today’s (fri) session of conference, which has been convened by the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) and Cosatu.
TAC chairperson Zackie Achmat described Ntsaluba’s withdrawal as “disgraceful” but the Department of Health said Ntsaluba was unable to attend as he was tied up in meeting of the Health minister and provincial MECs (MinMEC).
Opening the conference, Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi appealed for unity between government and civil society. He said Cabinet’s decision to offer anti-retroviral drugs to rape survivors had served to close the chapter on an “ugly, time-consuming and non-productive debate”.
“It is time to stop operating from different sides of the fence. Either we move forward together against HIV/AIDS or we will perish together,” said Vavi.
Vavi called on government to reduce military expenditure and spend money on AIDS drugs, as well as using measures in the Medicines and Related Substances Act to produce generic AIDS drugs.
The conference, the biggest in South Africa’s history to focus on HIV/AIDS treatment, was convened to build consensus between government and civil society on an “emergency HIV/AIDS treatment plan”.
The mood was lively as some 700 delegates, many HIV positive, from trade unions, TAC and non-governmental organisation sang modified anti-apartheid songs, characterising AIDS as the new oppressor and anti-retroviral drugs as liberators.
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