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African AIDS activists unite to demand access to treatment
Women and AIDS Support Network (WASN)
By Matilda Moyo
September 30, 2002

With a great deal of effort having been put into HIV/AIDS prevention, the time has come to focus more on the long-neglected area of treatment.

This was the general consensus among activists who met in Cape Town, South Africa at a recent conference that resulted in the birth of the Pan African HIV/AIDS Treatment Access Movement (PHATAM).

Advancing the case for treatment, about 70 activists from 22 countries presented various views in support of treatment and agreed that governments had to play a leading role in this.

"Most governments have focused on prevention," noted Dr Gorik Ooms, head of Medicines Sans Frontieres (MSF) in Mozambique, adding that it was time for a paradigm shift from mere prevention to a holistic approach that included treatment.

Medical practitioners and HIV/AIDS activists as well as specialists, generally agree that there is need to place more focus on treatment as many HIV positive people die prematurely of opportunistic infections which could be easily treated.

Among the most common opportunistic illnesses are tuberculosis (TB), thrush and herpes, all of which can be treated using either patented or cheaper but good quality generic drugs that are available but remain inaccessible because of their high costs.

This was supported by UNAIDS regional director for Zimbabwe, Dr George Tembo, who said it was important to provide drugs for opportunistic infections in order to prolong lives and delay progression to full-blown AIDS.

"Opportunistic Infection drugs are the solution. They are what we can give people now to prolong their lives for the future," he said.

Arguing in favour of treatment, Zachie Achmat, chairman of the South African-based Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) said it was a human rights issue that encompassed the right to life, dignity and freedom as well as equal access to economic goods.

It was with this in mind that the African activists met, with a view to ensuring a united approach in the battle for access to treatment and care for people living with HIV/AIDS.

In a consensus statement issues immediately after the formation of PHATAM, the activists justified the urgent need for treatment, outlined their expectations from various stakeholders and pledged to play their part in ensuring that people living with HIV/AIDS in Africa received the necessary treatment and care.

View the consensus statement

Visit the WASN fact sheet

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