SAfrica said to be a role model for dealing with AIDS/HIV

Feb 3, 2011, 17:50 GMT

Johannesburg - South Africa is a role model for dealing with the AIDS epidemic and its scientists may develop a cure or vaccine, former the former chief of the UN's HIV/AIDS programme said Thursday.

'South Africa is now showing a model for dealing with the epidemic through leadership and also through vibrant community activism,' Peter Piot said at the launch of the book 'AIDS: Taking a long-term view' by the aids2031 research consortium.

'South Africa may even come up with a cure or vaccine. South Africa is the emerging powerhouse in science and research,' he said.

South Africa's approach has resulted in more than 1 million people now on antiretroviral drugs, or ARVs, a programme which is the largest in the world, said the former UNAIDS chief.

With some 5.6 million South Africans living with HIV/AIDS in 2009, the country has the highest infection rate in the world.

Former South African president Thabo Mbeki regarded AIDS as a Western characterisation of Africans as promiscuous and also questioned the efficacy of ARVs, supporting his health minister's promotion of beetroot and garlic to fight HIV infection.

Last year South Africa stepped up its fight against the illness when government launched a major HIV counselling and testing campaign. By raising awareness the campaign aims to reduce HIV infection by 50 per cent by June this year.

But Piot warned that AIDS was far from over and at least another 1 million infections worldwide were expected by 2031, 50 years after the first six cases were diagnosed in the United States.

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