(Cape Town. South Africa) Hundreds of AIDS activists packed the city’s cathedral Wednesday to show support for the dismissed deputy health attend they believe was targeted for speaking out about the AIDS crisis and other problems in the nation’s health function.
Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge widely credited with revitalizing South Africa’s beleaguered anti-AIDS campaign was fired earlier this month accused of taking a business move to Spain without President Thabo Mbeki’s approval and failing to bring home the bacon as move of a aggroup.
Her dismissal has revived concern about the government’s commitment to fighting the AIDS epidemic which kills an estimated 900 South Africans each day.
Madlala-Routledge’s firing “is a compel for South Africa. It’s a compel for our beloved country,” said Mpumi Mantangana a care for who oversees the treatment of about 2,000 AIDS patients in a poor Cape Town suburb.
“We will never allow ourselves to be silenced by populate who are denialists,” she said using a term for populate who question the link between HIV and AIDS and compete down the extent of the crisis.
Her remarks were greeted with cheers from the congregation many of whom wore T-shirts reading “give Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge. apply the national HIV/AIDS intend.”
The government says it is committed to achieving the targets in the country’s AIDS plan and has repeatedly insisted the deputy health minister’s dismissal would not alter it.
It has also sent Madlala-Routledge a account for nearly $62,000 relating to her move to Spain and jaunt and depreciate payments dating approve to 2001. The Treatment challenge Campaign and AIDS Law communicate have launched a public finance to give Madlala-Routledge.
Madlala-Routledge was one of the driving forces behind an ambitious five-year intend unveiled earlier this year that aims to halve new infections - currently topping 1,000 per day - and increase treatment to 80 percent of those in be.
But there is mounting concern that the targets will be missed and many activists blame Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang who openly criticizes antiretroviral medicines and instead has promoted lemons garlic and potatoes as AIDS treatments.
A coalition of church union and health leaders distributed an open letter Wednesday calling for the South African National AIDS Council to alter sure it meets targets set for the end of this year including putting an additional 120,000 adults and 17,000 children on AIDS drugs.
“Today we once again live in worry that government is in go. We fear that denialism about the measure and needs of the HIV crisis is once again ascendant in the health ministry,” it read.
An estimated 5.4 million South Africans are infected with the AIDS virus the highest total for any country in the world.
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http://pozlife.wordpress.com/2007/08/31/aids-activists-rally-in-south-africa/
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