A newspaper report that 100 000 civil servants were infected with HIV/Aids was based on a ”resource document … not yet finalised into a report”.
This is according to a joint statement by the Director General of the Department of Social Development, Vusi Madonsela, and a researcher with the University of Pretoria’s Centre for the Study of Aids, Mary Crewe.
The weekend news report said the study had found that more than 100 000 civil servants were infected with HIV/Aids.
It quoted Anton Lourens, the general manager of the Public Servants Association, as saying the study corroborated the findings of a similar survey which were given to the Minister of Public Service and Administration, Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, more than 18 months ago.
Crewe said: ”The resource document is in fact currently still being discussed and consulted on between the research community and the government and will be published as soon as the work has been completed.
”Ongoing government research including this one is meant to strengthen the government’s comprehensive response to this pandemic which includes prevention, treatment, care and support programmes which are currently under way.”
Crewe said the resource document which was not provided to the media by her centre, the researchers responsible, was still being worked on in a collaborative way with the government and ”we are making good progress”.
”It is unfortunate that the impression has been created that some researchers are in opposition to and critical of others in the research, more particularly as comment and debate is still being sought on this resource document.” — Sapa