Independant On-line, Aids is not HIV, says Manto again, 29 July 2004

Sheena Adams

Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang used the launch of the South African Health Review in Cape Town on Wednesday night to reiterate her controversial view that HIV does not cause Aids.

Stepping up to the podium in high spirits she said she wanted to stress that it was important not to confuse the HI virus with Aids.

"A point I want to make is that the report talks of HIV or Aids when it should be HIV and Aids.

"It is important not to conflate the two.

"We must understand there is a difference between HIV and Aids," Tshabalala-Msimang said.

She added that she thought the review to be an "authoritative publication" on the state of the health systems in South Africa.

She said the department of health welcomed the objective reflections contained in the publication.

She said that while it was "generally true" that the impact of HIV and Aids had reversed many of the gains made in the healthcare system during the past 10 years, it was necessary to "better understand" exactly how the health department's interventions had been reversed.

"Funding has been set aside and we think it is sufficient to provide ARVs to those who need them."

And she said the department had committed itself to strengthening the TB programme.

This article was originally published on page 2 of Cape Argus on July 29, 2004