29 June 2000
The South African Communist Party (SACP) fully endorses the global march for affordable HIV/AIDS treatment to be held on the eve of the 13th International AIDS Conference to take place on 09 July 2000 in Durban, South Africa.
Already, SACP structures, hundreds of our members and allied organisations are involved in preparations for the global march and a satellite conference (on access to affordable treatment in the third world) to precede the global march on 09 July 2000.
The SACP Deputy General Secretary, Jeremy Cronin, will also lead the SACP delegation to the march and the satellite conference.
35 million people live with HIV worldwide (4 million of whom are in South Africa and more than 25 million in Africa). HIV and AIDS are not just health issues. They will affect the social, cultural, economic and political development of poor countries. HIV has led to the premature death of more than 10 million people across the world. Access to treatment (and information about treatment) is essential in order to save lives
“There are drugs that can successfully prevent and treat many of the opportunistic infections such as tuberculosis, fungal infections, pneumonias and cancers that kill most people with HIV and AIDS. Let us not fool ourselves - the main barrier to affordabl e HIV/AIDS drugs is the drug companies through charging high prices for these life-saving drugs”, said SACP General Secretary, Blade Nzimande. “If we do not act now to win affordable HIV/AIDS treatment, then we will condemn millions of poor people to miser y, ignorance, disease and premature deaths”, continued Nzimande.
All people have a human right to health care, and we call on all individuals, organisations, and governments to ensure adequate medical infrastructure, care and treatments to save the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS.
The SACP supports a human rights based and holistic response which dynamically links prevention, access to information, awareness, care, support, access to social services, management, access to treatment and human rights.
The SACP calls on all organisations and individuals to join this march to save the lives of millions throughout this world-and to build a global movement for HIV/AIDS treatment.
Further, we call upon the Deputy President of South Africa and chairperson of the South African National AIDS Council -Mr. Jacob Zuma and the national Minister of Health Dr. Manto Tshabalala-Msimang to receive the global call for world action for access to treatment. We support the TAC call on the South African government to unite and lead all people around this call.
Issued by Blade Nzimande, SACP General Secretary
CONTACT
Mazibuko K. Jara (surname Jara)
Department of Media, Information & Publicity
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Email: sacp1@wn.apc.org