'Dr Garlic' defends Aids work
2005-05-05 22:36
Special Report
The SA Medical Association says it is "gravely concerned" about HIV/Aids statistics which show a huge Aids-related leap in South Africa's death rate.
Cape Town - Emphasising the benefits of olive oil, garlic and beetroot, Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang said on Thursday said good nutrition was just as important as antiretroviral medicines for people with the Aids virus.
She said the government would not be pressured into meeting United Nations HIV/Aids treatment targets.
Tshabalala-Msimang, long accused by health activists of not doing enough to combat the spread of Aids and resisting the use of anti-Aids drugs, said far too little was known about the drugs' side effects.
"I don't want to be pushed or pressurised by a target of three million people on antiretrovirals by 2005," she said in reference to the global target set by the World Health Organisation and UNAids.
"WHO set that target themselves. They didn't consult us. I don't see why South Africa today must be the scapegoat for not reaching the target," said Tshabalala-Msimang at a conference on health programmes.
Goal of three million being treated
In a progress report published in January, WHO said that by the end of 2004, about 700 000 people in developing countries were taking antiretrovirals.
It had set a goal of three million people by the end of this year and indicated South Africa was one of the key countries that could derail the drive.
South Africa has the highest number of infected people in the world.
At the end of 2003, 5.3 million people carried the virus, according to the UN.
The number of recorded deaths increased by 57% in the five years ending in 2003, largely through Aids-related diseases.
South Africa approved a plan in November 2003 to provide free Aids medicines in five years to all who needed them.
It initially set a target to treat 53 000 people by March 2004, but those plans have now fallen by the wayside and the health ministry refuses to commit itself to any new targets.
About 42 000 people are now being given antiretrovirals in the public-health sector, according to figures released by Tshabalala-Msimang.
South Africa's Treatment Action Campaign, which has fought several court battles with the health minister about antiretrovirals, estimated that 500 000 South Africans urgently needed treatment.
Tshabalala-Msimang said: "It is not about chasing numbers. It is about the quality of health care we provide for our people.
'Gives you a beautiful face'
"It doesn't work just to dish out antiretrovirals just because they are available," she said, saying an efficient health system, trained health workers and equipped laboratories were vital to the success of any anti-Aids drive.
Tshabalala-Msimang is often called Dr Garlic by her many critics for her habit of singing the praises of garlic, olive oil, lemon and beetroot.
"Raw garlic and a skin of the lemon - not only do they give you a beautiful face and skin, they also protect you from disease," she said, adding that beetroot was also a vital ingredient in any diet.
- AP