27 November 2002 Three items: * TAC calls for the Mpumalanga MEC for Health, Ms Sibongile Manana, to be dismissed * Events that TAC is organising or supporting around World AIDS Day * Press Alert: 28 November, at 12.00, AIDS Consortium, Johannesburg - Details on an antiretroviral conference hosted by the Nelson Mandela Foundation, with assistance from TAC, MSF and Caprisa, to be held at the Coastlands Hotel in Durban on 29 & 30 November ************************************* MPUMALANGA HEALTH DEPARTMENT SHOWS CONTEMPT FOR CONSTITUTIONAL COURT JUDGMENT TAC CALLS FOR MPUMALANGA MEC FOR HEALTH TO BE DISMISSED An investigation by the TAC has revealed that the MEC for Health in Mpumalanga, Ms Sibongile Manana, has flouted and continues to flout the Constitutional Court judgment on mother-to-child transmission prevention. The course of our investigation has also revealed a provincial health department that is severely mismanaged and probably corrupt. The TAC will be lodging a complaint with the Human Rights Commission regarding the failure of the Mpumalanga Department of Health to implement the Constitutional Court judgment. In correspondence with the TAC and the Director-General of Health, the Mpumalanga Department of Health misrepresented the extent of the availability of Nevirapine and failed to provide other information requested in accordance with the mother-to-child transmission prevention court order. In particular, Ms Manana has been unable to provide any details of actions taken to meet the following requirements of the Constitutional Court judgement: * Training of counsellors, * Making the programme known to actual or potential patients, * Making budgetary provisions for the rollout of the programme, * Rolling out the programme to hospitals and clinics throughout the province. Our investigation has revealed the following: * Outside of the two formal pilot sites, Shongwe and Evader, no rollout has taken place. Even at these two pilot sites there are serious problems with implementation, because of a failure to train staff. * Ms Manana has misrepresented the extent of the mother-to-child transmission prevention rollout in Mpumalanga to us and the National Department of Health. In correspondence with the Director General of Health, Ms Manana's office stated that 40 sites are receiving Nevirapine including Evader, Shongwe and Philadelphia hospitals. However in response to a question raised in the Provincial Legislature asking which hospitals and clinics in Mpumalanga are currently prescribing Nevirapine, Ms Manana states "Shongwe Hospital, Evander Hospital and Lebogang and Mbalanhle Clinic", i.e. only four facilities, not 40 sites. * Of the above-mentioned four facilities, we have determined that Lebogang and Mbalanhle are not receiving Nevirapine from the Department and cannot be said to have functioning programmes. * Philadelphia Hospital is receiving Nevirapine from the TAC and not from the Department of Health, despite having requested it. Ms Manana is therefore failing to implement the Constitutional Court judgment by not making Nevirapine available to Philadelphia Hospital. * We have determined that Rob Ferreira Hospital in Nelspruit is not supplied Nevirapine from the Department of Health, even though the Mpumalanga Government has announced that they have rolled out to Rob Ferreira. * We have determined that at Themba clinic, they get their Nevirapine supplies from Shongwe Hospital. * Barbeton and Tonga have no programmes. * Philadelphia, Rob Ferreira and Witbank hospitals all applied for Nevirapine, but were assessed and "did not comply with the criteria". We believe this is in breach of the Constitutional Court judgment. Ms Manana states that "hospitals realised that they still have some constraints which needed to be addressed.", indicating that her department has deterred these hospitals from pursuing their queries. We are aware that Witbank Hospital has all the necessary infrastructure for a mother-to-child transmission prevention programme, except the Nevirapine. (Quotations are from Ms Manana in response to a question in the Provincial Legislature) * TAC had a meeting with Ms Manana on the 27th of August, where she committed to a followup meeting that she was going to arrange. To date, this has not happened despite our frequent requests. In the course of our investigation, we have received numerous allegations of corruption. Dedicated, good doctors have resigned (or been fired) from hospitals because of the incompetence of the Mpumalanga Department of Health. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of babies are dying and will die as a result of the failure of Ms Manana and her department to implement the court judgment. We therefore call for her dismissal. An investigation into the Mpumalanga Department of Health is necessary. The failure to comply with the court order is the province's resposibility, but the National Department of Health needs to intervene urgently in the province and take all actions necessary to ensure that the problems with the Mpumalanga Department of Health are rectified. The state of the Mpumalanga Department of Health is a shameful blight on the public health service and governance in South Africa. On the 29th of November TAC will lead a march from Nelspruit Showground to the Mpumalanga Government Complex to demand implementation of the mother-to-child Transmission prevention court judgment. ******************************************************************* ------------------------------------------------------------------- World AIDS Day Events that the TAC Will be Organising or Supporting ------------------------------------------------------------------- The TAC will be organising and supporting a number of events around World AIDS Day. These are listed below. TAC urges everyone to participate in World AIDS Day events. The theme to be highlighted at TAC's events will be: *** Support an HIV/AIDS Treatment Plan *** However, in Mpumalanga, we will highlight the failure of the Mpumlanaga MEC for Health to implement the mother-to-child transmission prevention court judgment. This will be the beginning of a campaign by the TAC in Mpumalanga to put pressure on this provincial Government to respect the court judgment and the rights of people with HIV/AIDS. Mpumalanga ---------- Nelspruit - 27 November 13:00 Press Conference, SACCAWU Offices - The Failure of the Mpumalanga Government to Implement Mother-to-Child Transmission Prevention 29 November 10:00 March from Nelspruit Showground to Government Complex to Demand Implementation of the Mother-to-Child Transmission Prevention Court Judgment 1 December Support the SACC Interfaith Service in Mpumalanga Contact: Thembani Shabangu, 083 684 1038 Eastern Cape ------------ East London - 1 December 13:00 Duncan Village: TAC will support the SACC interfaith service at St Peter Claver Church 10:00 Mdantsane: TAC will support the the Attic event at the Indoor Sports Centre Contact Ivy Ntlangeni, 043 760 0050 Western Cape ------------ Cape Town - 30 November 9:00 Oliver Thambo Hall, Site C, MSF event 8 December 14:00 Interfaith Service, Khayelitsha Contact Thembeka Majali, 021 364 5489 or 021 364 9514 Kwazulu-Natal ------------- Mandini - 1 December 10:00 Mandini - Meet at Sundumbili Sport Ground Contact Desmond Mpofu, 031 304 3673 Gauteng ------- Johannesburg 1 December - 10:00 Meet at Library Gardens. At 11:30, march to Saratoga for Interfaith Service Contact Pholokgolo Ramothwala, 082 969 8691 ******************************** PRESS ALERT The Nelson Mandela Foundation is hosting a conference on highly active antiretroviral therapy on the 29th and 30 of November in Durban. The Nelson Mandela Foundation, Treatment Action Campaign, Medecins Sans Frontieres and Caprisa have all assisted with the organisation of this meeting. For details, please come to the press conference at the AIDS Consortium in Johannesburg tomorrow. Date and time: Thursday, 28 November, at 12.00. Location: The AIDS Consortium, 4th Floor, Auckland House, 185 Smith St (corner Smith and Biccard Streets), Johannesburg ********************************