Mandela Urges South Africa to Change AIDS Stance

Originally published by Reuters, March 7, 2002

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — Former South African President Nelson Mandela warned on Thursday that people would die "in scores every day" if the government continued to block access to key AIDS-related drugs.

At a public clinic in Soweto, Mandela also came his closest yet to publicly criticizing his successor Thabo Mbeki's controversial stance on AIDS. In the past, Mbeki has questioned the link between HIV and AIDS.

Without mentioning Mbeki in name, Mandela appealed for a change in mind-set. "It is necessary to be broadminded and not feel that your ego is being attacked," Mandela said.

Though Mandela has been cautious in criticizing the current leadership, he has urged government to allow people, especially pregnant women, access to HIV/AIDS drugs at state hospitals.

"If the government says, 'don't make any move until we have completed our research,' young people and babies are going to die in scores every day," Mandela said at the clinic.

"The government must allow people, while it conducts its research, to go anywhere they want [to get drug treatment]," Mandela said. "If we do that, we will remove the perception that we don't care about our people who are dying," he added.

The government refuses to broaden access to nevirapine, a drug known to help prevent vertical HIV transmission, beyond a handful of pilot studies, citing cost and safety issues. AIDS activists have dismissed these concerns.

Relations between Mandela and Mbeki have been strained by the AIDS issue, culminating in a meeting earlier this month between Mandela and Mbeki's most trusted political allies to try to iron out their differences. Critics of South Africa's AIDS policy say Mbeki's personal views have blunted government's response to the epidemic gripping the country.