Dr No takes swipe at Anglo for its AIDS plan

Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang has berated Anglo American for entangling the government in its planned rollout of anti-retrovirals to its HIV-positive employees.

Anglo American said last week that the corporation would provide its employees with anti-retrovirals because the government had failed to do so.

But the mining giant made it clear that it believed it was the responsibility of the government to provide for them - and their family members who were also infected - once they left the corporation.

Tshabalala-Msimang twice expressed irritation at the corporation for failing to consult her. She was particularly angered at Anglo's call on the government to roll out its own anti-retroviral programme to ensure that Anglo American's plan succeeded.

"I don't think it is correct for Anglo American to commit the government without having discussed (these issues) with the government."

But Democratic Alliance deputy health spokesperson Sandy Kalyan said the mining companies were leading the way - which had highlighted the government's shortcomings.

"It is an indictment of the Minister that she attacks the private sector for filling the void left by her department instead of extending the government's own campaign against HIV/AIDS to include the provision of anti-retroviral treatment," Kalyan said.

An Anglo spokesperson on Thursday reacted with surprise to the Minister's comments. "At no stage did Anglo American commit the government to anything," said Anglo spokesperson Anne Dunn. "Anglo American has been in contact with the government during the process of formulating its AIDS strategy.

"The Minister of Health, among others, was sent a letter and a copy of the announcement ahead of its release to the public last week," she said.
"We have had a hugely positive response to the move," Dunn said.

Anglo's officials had urged the government to change its policy on anti-retrovirals and urged other mining companies to follow suit. Several companies have come out with similar statements.

At Thursday's briefing, Tshabalala-Msimang refused to comment on Anglo's new policy on the grounds that it had not consulted government officials. "They haven't communicated with me and I can't set policy through the media," she said.

Health Director-General Ayanda Ntsaluba said Anglo American had decided to give anti-retrovirals to its employees and not to their families partly because of a price issue, but also because of the lack of infrastructure to distribute and administer the drugs.

The Health Minister also dismissed a recent call by the HIV-positive chairperson of the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), Zackie Achmat, for the establishment of two sites in each province to distribute anti-retrovirals to HIV-positive people who wanted to take the drugs but could not afford them.

She said a programme had been started last month at the Medical University of South Africa that enabled the Department to monitor the effect of anti-retrovirals on patients. "So it's not just a question of the two sites," she said.

Earlier, she appeared to announce a government climbdown on the R700-million grant from the Global Health Fund to KwaZulu Natal for the treatment, care and prevention of HIV/AIDS.

The grant was the subject of major controversy when South Africa refused to accept the grant unless it was channelled through a "national mechanism" which would benefit all provinces.

But, when questioned about the Fund's insistence that South Africa would have to re-apply if it sought to re-allocate the grant, Tshabalala-Msimang said that the head of the Fund was unable to see her at present.

She also castigated journalists for always pressing her on HIV/ AIDS issues, rather than examining other aspects of health care.