PRESS STATEMENT
South African Group Sues to Save Thousands of Lives
Free Medications Can Prevent HIV Infection,
Yet South Africa's Government Refuses to Act
SAN FRANCISCO - South African activists are suing their government
today, demanding that it take urgent steps to reduce mother to child
transmission of HIV/AIDS.
"The Government of South Africa has the capacity to prevent HIV
infection in 35,000 children a year," stated Karyn Kaplan, the HIV
Program Coordinator of the International Gay and Lesbian Human
Rights Commission (IGLHRC). "They can do this for free, and yet
they refuse to act."
One of the most common methods of HIV transmission in children is
from mother to child at and around birth. The South African
government estimates that approximately 70,000 children are infected
in this manner every year. A clinical study carried out in
1999-2000 in South Africa demonstrated that administering drugs
during labor and in the first week following delivery could reduce
mother to child transmission by more than 50%. The drug under
study, Nevirapine, has been deemed so effective that the World
Health Organization has placed it on its List of Essential Drugs.
Nevirapine is also certified for use in South Africa and is
available there in the private sector
The lawsuit demands that the South African government make
Nevirapine available in the public health care system to
HIV-positive pregnant women. The South African government could do
so at no cost, since Boehringen Ingelheim, the drug manufacturer,
has offered the drug free of charge to the South African government
for a period of five years.
Today's suit is filed by the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), 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
please go to http://www.tac.org.za/
IGLHRC is a US-based non-profit, non-governmental organization that
works to protect and advance the human rights of all people and
communities subject to discrimination or abuse on the basis of
sexual orientation, gender identity, or HIV status.
###
International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission
Work Phone: +1-415-255-8680 * Cell Phone: +1-415-577-8680 * Fax:
+1-415-255-8662
IGLHRC is a US-based non-profit, non-governmental organization whose
mission is to protect and advance the human rights of all people and
communities subject to discrimination or abuse on the basis of
sexual orientation, gender identity, or HIV status. Our overarching
commitment is to defend the rights of people worldwide to define
their own sexualities and gender identities. We support the efforts
of individuals and groups to organize to create societies free from
heterosexism and homophobia.
1360 Mission Street, Suite 200 o San Francisco, CA 94103 USA
T: 1.415.255.8680
F: 1.415.255.8662
E: iglhrc@iglhrc.org http://www.iglhrc.org
Sydney Levy -- Director of Communications
International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC)
1360 Mission St, Ste 200 * San Francisco, CA 94103 * USA
sydney@iglhrc.org * http://www.iglhrc.org/
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