South Africa¹s Treatment Action Campaign filed a lawsuit Monday against the
South Africa government, escalating their battle to win pregnant women
access to nevirapine, a drug that cuts rates of HIV transmission from mother
to infant.
South Africa has the largest number of HIV infected people of any country in
the world‹4.68 million, or more than 10 per cent of the population. Hundreds
of HIV positive newborns are born every day in South Africa as a result of
HIV exposure at and around birth.
"The South African Government could have avoided this court case," said Asia
Russell of the Health GAP Coalition. "Instead they are continuing to
obstruct access to nevirapine, leaving tens of thousands to die preventable
deaths." According to the South African Health Department, national HIV
infection rates among pregnant women were 24.5% during 2000.
Access to nevirapine would prevent HIV infection for at least 20,000 infants
born each year in South Africa. Nevirapine is available at no cost to the
public sector for preventing transmission from mother to infant--but the
South African government has refused to allow its widespread availability in
the public sector.
250 South African health care providers joined with Treatment Action
Campaign in lodging the lawsuit; the government has until September 12 to
respond. Treatment Action Campaign will hold protests in South Africa on
August 27 as a next step.
Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) is a South African grassroots organization
dedicated to achieving affordable treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS
and to preventing new HIV infections. For more information about the TAC,
including their court papers, go to: www.tac.org.za
TAC contact people regarding this campaign:
The Health GAP Coalition is a US-based organization dedicated to eliminating
barriers to access to affordable life-sustaining medicines for people living
with HIV/AIDS in poor countries. www.globaltreatmentaccess.org
Mark Heywood: +27 (83) 634 8806;
Sipho Mthathi: +27 21 685 1440;
Zamo Zwane: + 27 31 304 3673 / + 27 (82) 9291210