Former president Thabo Mbeki says his much-ridiculed stance on Aids and HIV pose valid questions that have not been answered.
During his leadership‚ he posited that HIV did not cause Aids‚ which effectively denied access to life-saving anti-retroviral treatment to the millions of South Africans dependant on state health care.
“Thirteen years later‚ today‚ I would stand by everything said in this excerpt and still ask that the questions posed should be answered by those who have the scientific capacity to do so!‚” he wrote in his weekly public letter.
Mbeki says he wants to know why South Africans are affected by a particular type or variant of the HI Virus‚ which is unique to ourselves and which also mutates at a high frequency rate.
“Why is this special type of HI Virus confined only to our region of the world! Why does it not spread to other areas‚ even within Africa! What happened to the 1985 South African HI Virus which behaved in the same way as the US and West European HI Virus! If it mutated into what it is today‚ why did it not mutate in the same way in the US and Western Europe!
“Once more‚ scientifically substantiated answers to these questions are necessary to enable us to defeat the HI Virus as it affects us. It would seem only logical‚ once the assertion was made that ours is a unique HI Virus‚ that‚ consequently‚ unique solutions have to be found to respond to this distinct situation.
“Up to now‚ no answers have been provided to any of the questions that have been posed.”
Deaths from “HIV disease” came 9th in terms of the leading causes of death in South Africa in 2006‚ he said.
“Why did it come about that so much noise was made internationally about the 9th leading cause of death in our country‚ with not even so much as a whimper about the 1st leading cause of death‚ tuberculosis?‚” Mbeki asked.
He offered up a potential corporate ploy as one reason for his government ‚ stating: “Did this have to do with the fact that South Africa could be a lucrative market for the sale of ARVs‚ as it now is?“
Mbeki stands by controversial HIV stance‚ slams haters
During his leadership‚ he posited that HIV did not cause Aids‚ which effectively denied access to life-saving anti-retroviral treatment to the millions of South Africans dependant on state health care.
“Thirteen years later‚ today‚ I would stand by everything said in this excerpt and still ask that the questions posed should be answered by those who have the scientific capacity to do so!‚” he wrote in his weekly public letter.
Mbeki says he wants to know why South Africans are affected by a particular type or variant of the HI Virus‚ which is unique to ourselves and which also mutates at a high frequency rate.
“Why is this special type of HI Virus confined only to our region of the world! Why does it not spread to other areas‚ even within Africa! What happened to the 1985 South African HI Virus which behaved in the same way as the US and West European HI Virus! If it mutated into what it is today‚ why did it not mutate in the same way in the US and Western Europe!
“Once more‚ scientifically substantiated answers to these questions are necessary to enable us to defeat the HI Virus as it affects us. It would seem only logical‚ once the assertion was made that ours is a unique HI Virus‚ that‚ consequently‚ unique solutions have to be found to respond to this distinct situation.
“Up to now‚ no answers have been provided to any of the questions that have been posed.”
Deaths from “HIV disease” came 9th in terms of the leading causes of death in South Africa in 2006‚ he said.
“Why did it come about that so much noise was made internationally about the 9th leading cause of death in our country‚ with not even so much as a whimper about the 1st leading cause of death‚ tuberculosis?‚” Mbeki asked.
He offered up a potential corporate ploy as one reason for his government ‚ stating: “Did this have to do with the fact that South Africa could be a lucrative market for the sale of ARVs‚ as it now is?“
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