E-DRUG: Mandela urges access to MTCT/nevirapine
-------------------------------------------------------
[The MTCT debate in South Africa seems to have
arrived in a final stage: ex-president Mandela has now
asked Mbeki to make nevirapine available for MTCT.
copied as fair use; WB]
Mandela urges free Aids drugs on demand
March 03 2002
The Star
By Lynne Altenroxel
Nelson Mandela has asked the government to provide free drugs to Aids
patients.
This radical proposal was made at a press conference in Johannesburg on
Sunday in the presence of some of President Thabo Mbeki's most trusted
advisers.
The move would entail a complete about-turn in government policy.
Acting President Jacob Zuma, Minister in the Office of the Presidency Essop
Pahad, African National Congress secretary-general Kgalema Motlanthe and
head of the ANC presidency Smuts Ngonyama sat next to Mandela as he made
the surprise announcement.
Notably absent was the president himself, who was in Australia at the
Commonwealth summit, and Health Minister Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, who
was addressing a women's meeting.
Motlanthe confirmed that Madiba's request was to be discussed by the ANC at
a meeting of its national executive committee on March 15.
Mandela's suggestion is simple: On the issue of mother-to-child
transmission of HIV, the government would continue its "research" into
Nevirapine programmes at 18 official pilot sites.
But patients attending public hospitals and clinics should be allowed to
make up their own minds as to whether to take anti-retrovirals before the
research results are finalised.
"My proposal, both to the government and the ANC, is that (people should be
told): We are busy conducting this research, but people who feel they can't
wait for these findings must be free to consult with doctors if they wish.
"We can't afford to be conducting debates while people are dying. We have
to ensure that our people are given the drugs which are going to help them.
This is a war."
The announcement has raised the eyebrows of political analysts and Aids
activists.
Professor Tom Lodge, of Wits University, said Mbeki's absence could be a
face-saving device.
"All one can assume is that this is a fairly decisive move by Mandela,"
said Lodge.
"It will be rather difficult for them to talk their way out of this one."
Ngonyama said Mbeki's absence was coincidental. Mandela blamed it on the
president's hectic schedule.
"The only problem is that the president is too busy, both with internal and
external affairs, as you know. The task now of leading on the question of
Aids falls on the deputy president here," said Mandela, indicating Zuma.
Zuma said he and the others present could not comment on Mandela's proposal
because it had not yet been discussed by the ANC.
Mandela's announcement has been welcomed by the Treatment Action Campaign.
--
To send a message to E-Drug, write to: e-drug@usa.healthnet.org
To subscribe or unsubscribe, write to: majordomo@usa.healthnet.org
in the body of the message type: subscribe e-drug OR unsubscribe e-drug
To contact a person, send a message to: e-drug-help@usa.healthnet.org
Information and archives: http://www.healthnet.org/programs/edrug.html