- President Mbeki is such a pathological liar that I am
really stumped if I have to try and think back to when last he made a statement
that was actually TRUE! Bummed if I know! Anyway, the leader of the TAC
(Treatment Action Campaign) says Mbeki told lots of lies about AIDS during
his recent appearance on TV. - Jan
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- (IOL) -- President Thabo Mbeki was misrepresenting facts
on HIV and Aids and "making a mockery of our illness", Zackie
Achmat, chairperson of the Treatment Action Campaign, said on Wednesday.
-
- Speaking to reporters in Johannesburg, Achmat said the
president had made some "serious factual misrepresentations"
in a speech on SABC television on Sunday.
-
- He said Mbeki was incorrect when he said there were no
reliable statistics on deaths due to HIV/Aids - several government-endorsed
studies were available.
-
- Mbeki's comparison of Aids and diabetes was "unfortunate",
said Achmat. Aids was responsible for 39 percent of lost life-years, whereas
diabetes was responsible for about one percent.
-
- He also said South Africa's HIV/Aids programme was not
one of the best in the world, as Mbeki had claimed. Many developing countries
with fewer resources offered better treatment.
-
- With regard to the rollout of antiretrovirals, TAC national
treasurer Mark Heywood contended that the delays were not justified and
that capacity was less of a problem than lack of political will.
-
- He said the TAC would be monitoring government's progress
and would report on it on March 21.
-
- Responding to the report in The Star on the human body's
resistance to Nevirapene, Professor Jerry Coovadia said he was aware of
resistance issues but there was no suitable alternative.
-
- "Nevirapene still is and will remain a very useful
drug." - Sapa
-
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- http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=13&art_id=qw1076512141830R131&set_id=1
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