The South African government programme in fighting HIV/Aids ”is based on the belief that HIV does cause Aids”, government spokesperson Themba Maseko said at a post-Cabinet briefing on Thursday.
His statement follows years of what he described as ”political bickering” over the Aids issue, noting that government aimed to resolve communication problems over the implementation of the government’s programme through the setting up of an inter-ministerial committee (IMC) to ”improve coordination and communication” to ensure that the programme targets — including the roll-out of antiretrovirals — are reached.
Maseko’s comments follow years of controversy stemming from President Thabo Mbeki’s unorthodox views on the link between HIV and Aids and Minister of Health Manto Tshabalala-Msimang’s emphasis on nutrition as a means to fight the syndrome.
In response to a question whether the government’s Aids-fight approach and emphasis on nutrition was not confusing the public, Maseko, who is new in his post, said: ”At no stage do we say that nutrition is an alternative to treatment.”
He noted in particular that the programme would underscore the need for greater access to antiretrovirals.
Noting that the government is concerned that the fight against Aids has been diverted by marches and public disagreements by stakeholders — in an apparent reference to the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) — Maseko said the IMC will monitor the progress of the Aids fight.
The IMC will include the ministers of health, education, social development and provincial and local government representatives, as well as Minister in the Presidency Essop Pahad.
In addition, the South African National Aids Council (Sanac) — chaired by Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka — will be strengthened.
Asked if Sanac, previously headed by former deputy president Jacob Zuma, had failed, he said: ”It would be wrong to say that Sanac failed. At the same time, Sanac could play a much more forthright role to achieve a greater level of consensus [between stakeholders].”
But he added: ”One of the steps that needs to be taken is to mandate the deputy president to make sure that Sanac is revived. A number of meetings scheduled were cancelled because of non-availability of stakeholders.”
Noting that a shift is needed from saying the problem in South Africa’s Aids fight is because of the minister of health, Maseko said the Cabinet is united in its view that there is a need to communicate better. Sanac will bring stakeholders together to look at communication challenges and ensure ”a common message” is sent out.
Asked if the call for the firing of the minister of health — by a range of doctors and the TAC — had been discussed by Cabinet, he replied that it had not.
”The problem of addressing the challenge of HIV and Aids is bigger than any minister … it is a country challenge,” he said. — I-Net Bridge