TAC?–UND Forum

The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) recently opened a branch at the Durban campus of the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The TAC?–UND Forum, held on 24 October 2002, aimed to inform students and staff of TAC?’s objectives, history and activities.

Mandisa Mbali led the Forum through a brief history of TAC, from its beginnings as an offshoot of the National Association of People Living With HIV/AIDS (NAPWA) to its current profile and successes.

The Treatment Action Campaign has three main objectives:

- To ensure access to affordable and quality treatment for people with HIV/AIDS;
- To raise awareness of HIV/AIDS and in so doing to prevent new HIV infections;
- To improve the affordability, quality and access of general health care for all.

TAC strives to change government policies and so allow for the provision of anti-retroviral therapy to all individuals infected with HIV/AIDS and all victims of sexual assault. TAC was instrumental in lowering the price of anti-retroviral therapy and regards this as one of its most significant achievements.

TAC is not, however, an anti-government movement, and this Forum provided a platform for TAC members to dispel such common misconceptions surrounding the Campaign?’s agenda. TAC does agree with various governmental policies surrounding HIV/AIDS, but is not averse to protesting against governmental policies that do not support the struggle of those infected with HIV/AIDS.

Mandla Majola, of the TAC Provincial Office, presented to the Forum a key viewpoint of TAC, namely that government policy does not adequately advocate treatment and focuses more on prevention. TAC would like to see a more balanced message being disseminated through government HIV/AIDS initiatives. Mandla called upon all members of society to stand up and fight for the victims of HIV/AIDS, who are unable to fight for themselves.

Thabo Cele, the TAC Mother-to-Child-Transmission Prevention Programme Co-ordinator, is an individual living openly with HIV/AIDS. He lost his partner to HIV/AIDS in 2001, and does not wish to begin anti-retroviral therapy yet as he feels he is healthy at the moment.

Thabo stated that all people who require anti-retroviral therapy should be able to access it easily and urged the government to provide affordable and accessible health care for all.

The TAC?–UND Forum concluded with a call for students to join up with TAC in its activities and make an active contribution towards the struggle against HIV/AIDS.

For further information on TAC?–UND, please contact Samantha Willan on [email protected] or Tshifhiwa Dombo on [email protected]