Treatment Action Campaign

The Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa (ASASA) has upheld a complaint by the Treatment Action Campaign against an advertisement for fraudulent treatment for HIV which appeared in the Sowetan newspaper on 6 June 2008. You can download a copy of ASASA’s ruling here.

The advert in question, placed by Gogo’s Traditional Medicines (GTM), claimed inter alia that:

• “finally we have managed to develop medicines for HIV that brings [sic] real improvement in your health.”
• GTM’s Bantam Tonic, “reduces viral load in your body and increases your CD4 count in less than 30 days” and,
• The company’s Pisces Tonic, “helps to fight other opportunistic sickness [sic].”

These products, marketed together as a package in five litre quantities, were advertised for sale “for only” R1500.

On 12 to 14 March 2008, the court action initiated by TAC and the South African Medical Association (SAMA) against Matthias Rath and the Government of South Africa will be heard in the Cape High Court. This court case is critical for the rule of law as it relates to the Medicines Act.

Matthias Rath is the definitive charlatan. Armed with huge amounts of money, megalomania, a lack of conscience and most importantly, the support of South Africa's incompetent Minister of Health Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, Rath has sown confusion in South Africa about the treatment and prevention of HIV. The Rath saga demonstrates how damaging politically-supported AIDS denialism is.

This morning, about  30 members  of the TAC, most living openly with HIV, gathered at St Georges Cathedral in Cape Town and proceeded to hand over a complaint against Christine Qunta, her associate Freddie Isaacs and the company Comforter's Healing Gift to the Director of Public Prosecutions, the South African Human Rights Commission and the Cape Law Society.  Two TAC members also went to Qunta Incorporated's offices in the Reserve Bank Building to give Chr

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• Judgment will be handed down in TAC and Others v. MEC for Health, Western Cape and Others in Cape High Court at 10:15am Tuesday, 26 June 2007.

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• Briefing on TAC and SAMA v. Rath and Government of South Africa in the Cape High Court on 26 April 2007

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Patrick Holford

1 March 2007

Patrick Holford is currently touring South Africa promoting his philosophy on nutrition. Mr Holford has made some dangerous and unproven statements. We respond here to a few of these.

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• Tenofovir Campaign details and memo

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 By Nathan Geffen

Published in the Cape Times on 20 February 2007