Contents: * Price Breakthrough: Toga Laboratories substantially reduces cost of HIV monitoring tests (viral load, CD4 and full blood count). Other laboratories are encouraged to do the same. * AIDS activists from over 20 african countries gather in South Africa to launch a Pan-African HIV/AIDS Treatment Access Movement 22-24 August 2002. * AIDS Consortium and TAC organise successful picket on discrimatory practices of financial institutions. * Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development praises Constitutional Court decision on mother-to-child transmission prevention (from the Mail & Guardian). * ANC Health Portfolio Committee Welcomes Anglo HIV/AIDS Strategy. * Minister of Health Criticises Anglo HIV/AIDS Strategy (from The Star). **************************************** 20 August 2002 PRESS STATEMENT: TAC WELCOMES OFFER BY PRIVATE LABORATORY TO PROVIDE CHEAPER HIV/AIDS MONITORING TESTS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) welcomes the offer made by Toga laboratories to offer essential HIV/AIDS monitoring tests at a reduced price. The Southern African HIV Clinicians Society announced the details of the offer yesterday. Even though Toga is an independent laboratory, it is associated with Ampath Laboratories. Ampath is one of the largest private pathology laboratories in South Africa. The TAC recognises that access to treatment for HIV/AIDS is dependent on both affordable drugs and laboratory tests. During January 2002 the TAC identified the high costs of essential monitoring tests (such as viral load and CD4 count) as barriers to comprehensive treatment of persons living with HIV/AIDS. In particular, one of our campaign objectives for 2002 is to reduce the prices of such tests. The current costs of private laboratory tests are excessive. Toga's offer represents the first drastic reduction of the costs of providing essential HIV monitoring tests in the private sector in South Africa. The offer represents a 50% reduction of private sector costs. The current private sector costs are from ZAR1000 - ZAR1200 (US$95-115). Toga is offering the same tests for approximately ZAR500 ($47). The implications of such a drastic price reduction are enormous. The price reduction has cost implications for many countries in the region, elsewhere in Africa and internationally. It also has cost implications for the medical schemes sector. For millions of people living with HIV/AIDS in South Africa and around the world, a breakthrough such as this means that access to affordable laboratory tests is becoming a reality. Offers such as this are crucial in increasing access to comprehensive HIV/AIDS treatment. The TAC therefore calls on all other private laboratories in South Africa to follow Toga's lead by reducing the costs of HIV/AIDS monitoring tests. In particular, TAC calls on the National Pathology Group (NPG) to discourage both excessive pricing and price fixing in the private pathology sector. Further, we call on the NPG to support and encourage similar initiatives amongst its members so that affordable pathology becomes a reality for all persons living with HIV/AIDS. For more information please contact Fatima Hassan on 011 717 8629 or 072 419 6008. ******************************************** AIDS Activists from over 20 African Countries Gather in South Africa to Launch a Pan-African HIV/AIDS Treatment Access Movement Contact: Sipho Mthathi +27 72 4247180, Rachel Cohen +27 84 3353073, Marta Darder +27 82 3329714 When: 22-24 August 2002 Where: Cape Town, South Africa What: Pan-African HIV/AIDS Treatment Access Meeting Several recent events have converged in the past three months to create an ideal platform for the emergence of a Pan-African movement of HIV/AIDS treatment activists. Occurring simultaneously in early July was the launch of the African Union (the successor to the Organisation of African Unity), which presents an unparalleled opportunity for inter-country support, communication, and sharing of strategies among African civil society organisations, and the XIV International AIDS Conference in Barcelona. In Barcelona, the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced their goal to ensure antiretroviral (ARV) treatment for at least 3 million people by 2005. At that time, a group of African AIDS activists and non-governmental organisations decided to convene a meeting in the coming months to launch a Pan-African HIV/AIDS Treatment Access Movement, in part to define the contribution of African civil society organisations, in particular people with HIV/AIDS in Africa, in the fight to achieve this goal. This meeting will now take place in Cape Town, South Africa, 22-24 August 2002, just prior to the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. Approximately 70 delegates from over 20 African countries-including Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe-are expected to attend. A message from delegates will then be sent to the Johannesburg Summit to ensure that AIDS treatment is not neglected in discussions about health and development in Africa. The goal of the meeting in Cape Town is to define a framework for the Pan-African movement, allow activists to share information and advocacy strategies with one another, and create a unified African voice for treatment access that can be directed toward national governments, inter-governmental institutions such as WHO, UNAIDS, and the World Trade Organisation, and international initiatives like the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Convening organisations include: AIDS Consortium - South Africa; AIDS Law Project (ALP) - South Africa; AIDS Law Unit: Legal Assistance Centre - Namibia; Catholic AIDS Action - Namibia; Coping Centre for People with AIDS (COCEPWA) - Botswana; Kara Trust - Zambia; Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF); Network of Zambian People Living with HIV/AIDS (NZPL+) - Zambia; Network of Zimbabwean Positive Women - Zimbabwe; Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) - South Africa; and Women and AIDS Support Network (WASN) - Zimbabwe. Delegates available to speak to the media: Zackie Achmat, Treatment Action Campaign (South Africa), is the Chairperson of TAC and one of Africa's most powerful advocates for access to AIDS treatment. His refusal to take ARVs until they are available in the public sector in South Africa has recently prompted Nelson Mandela to intervene, conveying Zackie's demands to the government. Milly Katana, Health Rights Action Group (Uganda), is the Lobbying and Advocacy Officer for HRAG, a woman living with HIV/AIDS, and a member of the Board of the Global Fund. She is one of Africa's leading women advocates for access to AIDS treatment. Winston Zulu, Network of Zambian People Living with HIV/AIDS (Zambia), was the first person in Zambia to openly disclose his HIV status. For a short period, he denied the causal link between HIV and AIDS, participated in South African President Thabo Mbeki's Presidential Panel, and stopped taking treatment. After becoming seriously ill, he renounced his denial and has begun taking antiretroviral medicines again. Teresa Kabale-Omari, Femme Plus (Democratic Republic of Congo), is a woman living with HIV/AIDS and one of DRC's leading advocates for the rights of women living with HIV/AIDS. Dr. Eric Goemaere, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), is the Head of Mission for MSF South Africa. He directs MSF's AIDS programmes in Khayelitsha, including the pilot ARV treatment programme , which is currently providing ARVs as part of a comprehensive approach to AIDS care for nearly 200 people with HIV/AIDS. ******************************************** AIDS Consortium and TAC Organise Successful Picket on Discrimatory Practices of Financial Institutions ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The AIDS Consortium and the TAC had a successful picket on discriminatory practices of Financial Institutions against people living with HIV, focussing on AVBOB-burial scheme and Banks. Over 100 people joined the picket at the CSIR in Pretoria. Executive Director of NEDLAC -Phillip Dexter -received the Memo and said that they had reached a ground breaking agreement with Business at the Summit on the issue of HIV in particular. The following points are of particular importance to us: 3.9 Discrimination: The parties have agreed that, within the context of the Equality Act 2000, every subsector within the financial sector should establish and strengthen a code to end unfair discrimination. Government should legislate uniform norms on disclosure of financial services by race, gender, location and categories of amount. People who face unfair discrimination should have an effective route for adjudication. 3.10 HIV/AIDS The parties are particularly concerned about the need to end unfair discrimination against people with HIV and develop appropriate services for them. Following the Summit, they will work together to achieve this end. and especially to ensure that people with HIV have improved access to housing finance and other services. This is a good start and we need to participate in the post summit deliberations to ensure that this is developed into policy and practice. Phillip Dexter said that it was through the mobilisation of communities that these victories were won, and he also mentioned that NEDLAC is presently sitting with the TAC proposal for a National Treatment Plan with the key resolutions from the Treatment Congress which is also being addressed. Thanks to all those who made this possible, especially Sinazo Pato and Pholokgolo Ramothwala. ******************************************** Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Praises Constitutional Court Decision on Mother-to-Child Transmission Prevention From the Mail & Guardian, August 16 to 22 2002 Page 7: Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Penuell Maduna has praised the Constitutional Court decision on the Treatment Action Campaign case ordering the government to provide nevirapine to HIV-positive pregnant women. Speaking on Thursday at the launch of Constitutional Law Direct, a service on the South African human rights law and jurisprudence, he said the decision "demonstrates the crucial role of the courts in maintaining committment to the Constitutionalism that underpins the vision of a new South Africa." Meduna went on to remark that the judgment "represents a new depth and maturity in our new democracy. It shows that the Constitution creates a powerful tool in the hands of civil society, to ensure that the Government gives proper attention to the fundamental needs of the poor, the vulnerable and the marginalised." ***************************************** ANC Health Portfolio Committee Welcomes Anglo HIV/AIDS Strategy Wednesday 7 August 2002 ANGLO-AMERICAN HIV/AIDS STRATEGY Statement by Mr James Ngculu MP, Chairperson Portfolio Committee on Health Reacting to Anglo American?s statement on further steps in its HIV/AIDS strategy and providing anti-retroviral therapy to employees with HIV/AIDS, chair of the Health Committee, Mr. James Ngculu said today: "The mining company Anglo-American?s intention to provide anti-retrovirals to its employees, and family members of employees are welcomed." "Taking social responsibility for the health of workers is critical especially given the magnitude of the HIV/AIDS epidemic." "This initiative illustrates the critical role that the business sector can play in forging partnerships with government to deal effectively with issues of treatment, care and prevention of HIV/AIDS and infectious diseases." "The Committee hopes to receive a detailed briefing by Anglo-American on its comprehensive programme on HIV/AIDS and its other health programmes." Ends. *************************************** Reprinted from the Star, 15 August 2002 Dr No Takes Swipe at Anglo for its AIDS Plan By John Battersby Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang has berated Anglo American for entangling the government in its planned rollout of anti-retrovirals to its HIV-positive employees. Anglo American said last week that the corporation would provide its employees with anti-retrovirals because the government had failed to do so. But the mining giant made it clear that it believed it was the responsibility of the government to provide for them - and their family members who were also infected - once they left the corporation. Tshabalala-Msimang twice expressed irritation at the corporation for failing to consult her. She was particularly angered at Anglo's call on the government to roll out its own anti-retroviral programme to ensure that Anglo American's plan succeeded. "I don't think it is correct for Anglo American to commit the government without having discussed (these issues) with the government." But Democratic Alliance deputy health spokesperson Sandy Kalyan said the mining companies were leading the way - which had highlighted the government's shortcomings. "It is an indictment of the minister that she attacks the private sector for filling the void left by her department instead of extending the government's own campaign against HIV/Aids to include the provision of anti-retroviral treatment," Kalyan said. An Anglo spokesperson on Thursday reacted with surprise to the minister's comments. "At no stage did Anglo American commit the government to anything," said Anglo spokesperson Anne Dunn. "Anglo American has been in contact with the government during the process of formulating its Aids strategy." The minister of health, among others, was sent a letter and a copy of the announcement ahead of its release to the public last week," she said. "We have had a hugely positive response to the move," Dunn said. Anglo's officials had urged the government to change its policy on anti-retrovirals and urged other mining companies to follow suit. Several companies have come out with similar statements. At Thursday's briefing, Tshabalala-Msimang refused to comment on Anglo's new policy on the grounds that it had not consulted government officials. "They haven't communicated with me and I can't set policy through the media," she said. Health director-general Ayanda Ntsaluba said Anglo American had decided to give anti-retrovirals to its employees and not to their families partly because of a price issue, but also because of the lack of infrastructure to distribute and administer the drugs. The health minister also dismissed a recent call by the HIV-positive Treatment Action Committee chairperson, Zackie Achmat, for the establishment of two sites in each province to distribute anti-retrovirals to HIV-positive people who wanted to take the drugs but could not afford them. She said a programme had been started last month at the Medical University of South Africa that enabled the department to monitor the effect of anti-retrovirals on patients. "So it's not just a question of the two sites," she said. Earlier, she appeared to announce a government climbdown on the R700-million grant from the Global Health Fund to KwaZulu Natal for the treatment, care and prevention of HIV/Aids. The grant was the subject of major controversy when South Africa refused to accept the grant unless it was channelled through a "national mechanism" which would benefit all provinces. But, when questioned about the fund's insistence that South Africa would have to re-apply if it sought to re-allocate the grant, Tshabalala-Msimang said the head of the fund was unable to see her at present. She also castigated journalists for always pressing her on HIV/ Aids issues, rather than examining other aspects of health care. [ENDS] ********************************