At its National Conference
in August 2001, the South African
Council of Churches encouraged SACC members to "adopt a
mindset of prevention in dealing with the HIV/AIDS pandemic
and to develop pro-active measures aimed at eradicating the
disease". As part of that campaign, the SACC called on
government "to ensure the availability of free anti-retroviral
drugs for people living with HIV/AIDS, including Nevirapine
for all pregnant women and their newborns, and the provision
of adequate health care for all South Africans."
In light of the current legal action being brought against the
government by the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), we
reiterate our commitment to the establishment of an effective
state programme to prevent mother-to-child transmission of
HIV.
TAC's suit seeks to achieve two objectives. First, it aims to
ensure that every woman with HIV who gives birth using public
health facilities has immediate access to Nevirapine if her
attending doctor or nurse recommends such treatment to
minimise the risks of transmitting the virus to her child.
Second, the action hopes to require the state to introduce in
a timely fashion a national programme to prevent
mother-to-child transmission of HIV. The SACC endorses both
of these goals.
We regret that it has been necessary for TAC to resort to
litigation to compel government action. We believe strongly
that both plaintiff and respondent in this case share a
genuine concern for the lives and health of people living with
HIV/AIDS, especially those whose treatment options are
severely constrained by poverty.
It is time for us to rediscover common ground in the battle
against this disease. We must refuse to use the AIDS pandemic
as an opportunity to achieve political advantage. Instead, we
must build a broad commitment to fundamental principles, based
on the best scientific evidence available. As a starting
point, there should be a shared recognition that:
- HIV causes AIDS;
- the progress and impact of the disease differs for each
individual and is determined by numerous factors including
economic circumstances and nutrition;
- responsible sexual behaviour can greatly reduce or eliminate
the potential for infection;
- a regime of anti-retroviral drugs, despite the potential
side effects that can accompany it, can prolong life and
improve the quality of life for certain people living with
HIV/AIDS;
- all South Africans have an obligation to fight ignorance and
myths about the disease and to prevent discrimination
against people living with the virus.
As churches, we are painfully aware of the dreadful toll that
this pandemic is taking on our communities. Typically, it is
the poorest and most vulnerable communities that bear the
heaviest burden. We urge all South Africans to work together
to halt the spread of the virus and to provide the best
possible care and treatment for those already living with it.
Rev. Desmond LESEJANE
Acting General Secretary
27 November 2001
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