South Africa Plans to Ignore Controversial AIDS Report
In a victory for AIDS patients, the government of South Africa decided recently to essentially ignore a report by a controversial AIDS panel that included several people who do not believe that HIV causes AIDS.
The panel caused an international controversy in 2000 when President Thabo Mbeki endorsed the view that HIV wasn’t the primary cause of AIDS. Both international pressure as well as pressure from within South Africa caused Mbeki to backpedal from those statements.
The AIDS panel was divided between the group of people who believe there is no connection between HIV and AIDS and the rest of the panelists who accept the prevailing medical understanding of AIDS. These so-called “dissidents” insert recommendations in the report such as using garlic and Chinese cucumber to boost immune systems rather than anti-AIDS drugs. They also suggested “detoxifying” the body with musical therapy and yoga!
To its credit, the South African government announced it would continue to tailor its AIDS treatment programs based on the premise that HIV causes AIDS.
Source:
South African split over AIDS. Greg Barrow, The BBC, April 4, 2001.
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