South Africa: Minister Has Reversed HIV Gains -- TAC

Cape Town — As condemnation of President Thabo Mbeki's decision to sack former deputy health minister Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge intensified yesterday, Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) chairman Zackie Achmat accused Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang of having swiftly overturned gains the AIDS lobby group had made during her seven months of sick leave.

During the minister's long absence, Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ncguka had instructed the health department to negotiate an agreement on the Westville prison case, which centres on HIV-infected prisoners' rights to treatment, and the Mathias Rath case, which centres on unregistered HIV medicines, he said. The minister and her director-general, Thami Mseleku, had subsequently reversed those instructions, he said.

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