By Anso Thom

AIDS activists have launched a contempt of court application against Mpumalanga

Health MEC Sibongile Manana for failing to implement the Constitutional Court’€™s order on preventing mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV.

The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) also called on the African National Congress, Government and the health department to remove Manana. The court application was this week made to the Pretoria High Court against Manana and Health minister Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang.

It seeks an order compelling Manana to provide information on what steps she has taken or intends to take and when she plans to to implement PMTCT. It also asks the court to find that she has been in contempt of the Constitutional Court judgement. TAC said it had named Tshabalala-Msimang as the second respondent as it was the national government’€™s duty to ensure that provinces met their Constitutional duties.

Chairperson Zackie Achmat said that TAC had been corresponding extensively with health director-general Dr Ayanda Ntsaluba since July and that he had co-operated fully.

“We have also found the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and NorthWest to be committed to the success of PMTCT,” said Achmat.

He said, however, that the Mpumalanga health department had followed a diametrically opposite path.

“It has misrepresented the extent of its actions, refused to respond to correspondence and delayed the implementation of PMTCT,” Achmat claimed.

He said TAC regretted having to take this action, but pointed out that five months after the Constitutional Court order there appeared to be only two hospitals in the province providing Nevirapine for PMTCT. ‘€“ health-e news service