Lead Aids drive, Mbeki urged

2004-09-23 19:11

Cape Town - President Thabo Mbeki must "come out of hiding" to lead a prevention campaign against HIV/Aids with force and determination, said the Democratic Alliance on Thursday.

DA health spokesperson Ryan Coetzee lambasted Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang for "very quietly and without any announcement" publishing the annual HIV/Aids and syphilis sero-prevalence report on the department's website.

"This was after I had written to the minister and submitted an application in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act," he said.

Coetzee said this was the second consecutive year in which the minister had published the report only after the DA had applied pressure to have it released by making use of the act.

It seemed the minister's reluctance to make the report public was because the incidence of HIV among pregnant women continued to increase.

He said that, contrary to the government's claims that the epidemic was stabilising, the report showed the incidence had increased by 1.4% to 27.9%.

"The report proves the government's prevention campaign is not succeeding. In only one province out of nine - Gauteng - has the incidence of HIV decreased from 2002.

"The solution is clear: President Thabo Mbeki must come out of hiding to lead a prevention campaign against HIV/Aids with force and determination," he said.

Mbeki and every government minister should take every public speaking opportunity they had to drive a clear and consistent prevention message to the South African people.

- SAPA