A Good Week for Widespread Media Coverage of HIV/AIDS
Unlike many others, this week has been filled with news on HIV and AIDS. A long awaited breakthrough finally came in insurance claims on AIDS-related deaths. The Treatment Action Campaign’s (TAC) Zackie Achmat announced his intention to discontinue being the TAC’s chairperson and Minister of Correctional Services Ngconde Balfour has broken his customary silence about the effect of the epidemic on prisoners, releasing shocking statistics on the number of those infected with HIV.
The Cape Argus reported a “victory for South Africans living with HIV and AIDS” now that the life insurance industry will no longer be able to deny insurance payouts to dependents of people who died of AIDS-related illnesses.
“Although HIV and Aids exclusion clauses for policies fell away at the beginning of 2005, the Aids Law Project has had thousands of complaints about policies taken out by HIV negative people prior to that date, who later contracted HIV. When they died, their dependents were denied a payout.”
Though this is undeniably an enormous triumph for those living with HIV and AIDS and their dependents, the Aids Law Project (ALP), which has fought on behalf of HIV-positive people against the Life Offices’ Association in this case, says there is still another battle to be faced: to get insurance companies to agree to cover HIV-positive applicants at affordable rates.
In a stunning turn of events, TAC leader Zackie Achmat told the Pretoria News that he will step down from his position as the organisation’s chairperson to concentrate on his doctorate (which he insists will have nothing to do with AIDS).
The TAC is expected to hold its congress in September or October, when a new leadership will be elected. After eight years at the TAC’s helm, Achmat is keen to hand over the reins to “new blood”, the Pretoria Times reported.
“There are a number of good people who could become chairpersons of TAC. I would like to see a strong African woman who lives with HIV. That’s what I would like to see but of course it is up to the members of the TAC to decide,” he said.
Being its founder, Achmat has been at the helm of the TAC through some turbulent times. Some of the media highlights include the sensational call for Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang to be charged with genocide after crediting her with the deaths of millions of South Africans. Last year he was also arrested for trespassing when TAC members occupied provincial government offices in Cape Town, during a protest demonstration.
Many will remember his tireless work against government for the betterment of the lives of people living with HIV and AIDS. The TAC has undoubtedly become one of the most powerful HIV-awareness non-governmental organisations in this country which now commands the respect of government in matters related to HIV and AIDS.
It is most interesting that he should choose the projected time of Tshabalala-Msimang’s return to her position to leave the TAC. While some AIDS groups have shown the ill minister some sympathy, it seems just the mere thought of her is a bitter moment for Achmat. When asked if he could ever be friends with the minister, the answer was unequivocally, “no”.
“Almost a million people have died and for that I don’t think that I could ever establish a friendship with her … For my part, the best thing that could have happened for the epidemic was re-establishing government’s commitment in the way that the deputy president has and the deputy health minister has.”
Another interesting bit of news was Ngconde Balfour’s candid response to a written question from main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, providing hitherto not widely circulated statistics of HIV-positive prisoners and the number of those on antiretroviral treatment (ART).
The Pretoria News reported that Balfour said of the 13 700 prisoners that were HIV-positive (1 092 of which reportedly have full-blown AIDS), only 628 are currently receiving ART as well as counseling, with a further 1 600 on ART. Although this number may seem small, it must be taken into account that not all HIV-positive prisoners are necessarily in need of ART. Therefore, in respect of the Correctional Services’ former reluctance to give ART to prisoners, this is a marked improvement. However, it must be pointed out that at present there are only five correctional centres that have been credited as comprehensive treatment, care and support centres. While prisoners are now receiving treatment, a study conducted at the Durban Westville Prison showed a 30-percent infection rate among 300 inmates.
Although the media’s coverage of HIV-related stories is not steady or entirely satisfactory, it must be commended for the importance it has given to all these stories because they are stories that are pertinent to the fight against HIV and AIDS. – Akhona Cira
March 31st, 2007 at 2:36 pm
There is still such enormous denial about HIV and Aids in South Africa. And not just by Government. Business does little and has acted little upon it to truly change the status quo of the epidemic. Many people feel they have heard enough about it. But still too few understand about transmission of HIV. Many think that one can be infected with one act of sexual intercourse with or wihtout a condom and it means that HIV positive people are still discriminated against, too few people come out. there is too little information around and few people understand drug resistance of HIV - the fact that the HIV can be drug resistant to the medication. with only 2 or 3 lines available at most in South Africa and queue’s growing at the clinics, and stil we have about 250 000 people on medication in a country of an estimated 5.3 Million infected what does it mean in the future? The last visit to Helen Joseph where I go, the queue’s were intolerable and for the first time I went private and bought the medication at the private wing of the hospital. Also from giving a 3 month supply in November, I was told at Helen Jospeh which is supposed to be one of the best in the country, they would be giving supplies for 1 month only due a lack of supplies. This has increased the queue’s and number of people having to come back more often to be seen. It simply makes no sense and if it continues will be unmanageable. What about the expected growth in the number of patients. If they are struggling now, what will the future hold? There seems to be a lack of commitment to continue with the sustainable roll out of ARV’s across the country and too few people understand about drug resistance, and the fact they have to make their combination lst for as long as possible. I know people missing doses over the weekend and continue to have unprotected sex with their partners (who are also HIV+) and this could mean that the medication becomes resistant to the virus, and will no longer work. South Africans have to uderstand that they have to make sure that the current combination they are on needs to last them for the next 3 -4 years before any new drugs become available in South Africa.
The South African economy is booming and too few people are getting rich while the poor get poorer often. House prices are out of control. There is a huge shortage of housing and accomodation for everyone. It seems that the HIV pandemic has been good for the economy with life assurance refusing payouts even when it was illlegal to do so. Employers are not encouraging HIV testing enough and policies within companies are unclear. In an economy where people are expected to travel many hours from their home, little emphasis is placed upon being sick or been unable to work full time. If you can’t work, you don’t get paid. Period. Too often the unsophisticated who are at the brunt end of the epidemic don’t get time off work to visit the clinic or hospital, get treated or get proper medical treatment. In South Africa the divide between rich and poor is as high as ever and with new immigrants from Zimbabwe and the Congo has meant it has created an accomodation crisis in a country which already had one. House prices are through the roof and much still remains the same in South Africa. The same wealth gaps exist as before and few seem to care about it.
Martin Leigh
Knowingly HIV+ since March 2000