People with Aids still battling stigma
hospital. BEFORE World Aids Day next week, a new report from UNAids was launched in Khayelitsha yesterday, with those living with and affected by HIV telling the executive director for the UN body and Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi that stigma was still an obstacle.
The report contains the latest estimates of the numbers of people living with HIV, and the number of people who have access to life-saving antiretroviral therapy globally, as well as in South Africa.
UNAids executive director Michel Sidibe said South Africa had the largest Aids epidemic in the world.
Young people were particularly vulnerable to being infected with HIV.
There had been an estimeant to people from various mated 610 000 new infections communities. since March last year and Cindy Mguye, who repreMarch this year among young sented various organisations people between the ages of 15 advocating for health rights, to 24 years in the southern yesterday said stigma and Africa region, with women intolerance made people relucaccounting for 59% of those. tant to get tested for HIV, and
He said the report found those infected reluctant to seek that there were 4.2 million treatment. South Africans on treatment, “Discrimination has not 200 000 new infections annually been rooted out,” she said. Ward 3 at about 9am. Mabhida region, Sthembiso ANC leaders in the municipand about 17 millionality.people“WhatweneedfromourMnguni’sbodywasfoundaMhlongo,saidMnguniwasthe who were infected but not on communities and families is A KWAZULU-Natal ANC delefew metres from his bullet-ridonly delegate nominated by his Ward 3 ANCYL secretary treatment. for them to love us. We are not gate to next month’s national dled white Nissan bakkie, ward to attend the conference Kwazi Mkhize, who was a coun
Infected men were not what happened to us, but we conference was shot dead yeswhich was loaded with grocernext month. cillor, was killed in August, accessing treatment – in are what we want to achieve.” terday. ies. A resident, who declined “His branch had nominated and Ward 6 deputy secretary southern African about 80% of Sidibe also announced the Lungisani Mnguni, 34, was to be named, said that after him to go to the conference to Toyitoyi Mtolo was killed in infected men were likely to die. appointment of Associate a former ANC branch chairbeing shot, Mnguni alighted elect Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma December last year.
“It is not about pills and Scientific Director of the Cenperson at ward 7 in Umbumbulu from the vehicle and tried to to be the president of the ANC,” Sthembiso Mnguni said treatment, but the quality of tre for the Aids Programme outside Durban. The ward run towards a nearby cliff. said Mhlongo. Mnguni was on his way to life one is living,” said Sidibe. of Research in South Africa, falls under the Mkhambathini “But he collapsed and died Mhlongo said he could not deliver groceries to three
The report, he added, Professor Quarraisha Abdool Municipality, which is part before reaching the cliff,” said link the murder to the ANC’s schools that were part of a feedcontained a series of stories Karim, as UNAids Special of the ANC’s Moses Mabhida the man. branch general meetings. ing scheme when he was killed. highlighting the importance of Ambassador for Adolescents region. The ANC Youth League He said he was concerned Sthembiso said that in addithe right to health and what it and HIV. The murder took place in deputy secretary in the Moses about the murder of young tion to being involved in coun-