About 600 protestors from the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) and Durban Social Forum gathered outside the International Convention Centre in Durban around midday on Thursday in a bid to raise awareness of the need to combat Aids and improve the plight of the poor on the second day of the World Economic Forum (WEF)’s three-day Africa Economic Summit.
Protestors passed out leaflets from the TAC headlined “WEF leaders must treat the people”, urging members of the WEF to prioritise health and food security.
“If development in Africa is to proceed at an acceptable pace, then the needs of the worst-off and poorest people in society must be addressed. We are therefore saying to the WEF Africa Economic Summit that they must: develop treatment and prevention plans for HIV/Aids and other diseases; legally protect and enforce the rights of people with HIV/Aids; give African governments access to the Global Fund to fight Aids, TB and Malaria; and make all African countries more democratic and demonstrate a greater respect for human rights.”
The two groups also called on wealthy countries to end their farm subsidies and to grant more money to the Global Fund for health treatment. – I-Net Bridge