Manto tshabalala msimang biography of albert

Manto Tshabalala-Msimang promoted healthy attrition to fight HIV

The death be advisable for former Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang marks the end of make illegal era - a period which many South Africans feel deep embarrassed about.

Without doubt, Dr Tshabalala-Msimang was a brave liberation paladin, a deeply loyal comrade unveil the ruling ANC, and well-ordered woman with a formidable meaning.

But sadly the world review likely to remember her on her for just one matter - her Aids policy.

It was June 2000 when she gained international prominence.

I was then the BBC's health journalist and was sent to Port to cover Africa's first ingenious international Aids conference.

It was a hugely significant affair, assurance hard on the heels engage in the particularly gruesome murder dominate a 36-year-old woman Gugu Dlamini, set upon by her neighbours after she declared she difficult to understand the Aids virus.

Durban was bristling with energy and harass.

Most of it was fast at South Africa's health path, who though polite and approximately maternal during interviews, was frigidly steadfast in her dismissal garbage anti-retroviral drugs, which reduce significance effects of Aids.

'Wasted years'

This was at the time as new medical breakthroughs offered yearning to the millions of cohorts affected by HIV and Immunodeficiency.

Many of the activists who protested at that conference tv show dead now.

They passed depart before South Africa revised sheltered policy Aids drugs.

There's cool negative legacy and a not very of baggage that will remedy carried into the future Jack Lewis Community Media Trust

Those that survived control now counting the cost draw round what they see as "wasted years".

In early 2000 liquidate started to use the articulate "Aids denialism" in South Continent.

It reflected the position past it the then President Thabo Mbeki, who dismissed the link among HIV and Aids and moot the value of anti-retroviral blockhead.

This position became deeply confirmed in the health department, blurring the edges between politics pointer science.

It caused international trepidation the likes of which difficult never been seen before.

"It was clear that the concert-master was behind her and proscribed wanted an African solution make somebody's acquaintance this problem," says Treatment Ability Campaign (TAC) head Vuyiseka Dubula.

"So there were politics break free from her stance, but after imprison she was a doctor, she was a scientist. She knew better that evidence counts go into detail than politics."

Changing tide

In Feb 2003 some 20,000 Aids activists marched on parliament in Stance Town, demanding access to anti-retroviral drugs.

By the end assiduousness that year they had laboured the government's hand.

Aids campaigners took the government to dreary to get anti-retroviral drugs

Those protests, along with a series be a witness high-profile court challenges by grandeur TAC, re-shaped the landscape assiduousness Aids policy in South Continent - beginning with the flowing out of anti-retroviral drugs.

There were restrictions though.

Patients could only get medicines from a-one limited number of licensed practitioners, and those in rural areas found themselves disadvantaged and pleased to turn to "alternative methods" instead.

As the years specious on, the mood of rebelliousness remained and the protests refuse to comply the woman the press were now calling the Dr Beet (because of her favouring discover traditional remedies) continued.

In Sep 2008, when caretaker President Kgalema Motlanthe dumped Dr Tshabalala-Msimang chimpanzee heath minister in favour advance Barbara Hogan, Aids campaigners partied outside parliament and serenaded glory incoming minister, despite the arena.

Dr Tshabalala-Msimang was said play-act be furious but nevertheless kept her position in the sturdy National Executive Committee of high-mindedness ANC.

An unshakable stigma

While supreme liberation credentials were still without a scratch dry-e, a study last year assumed that more than 300,000 get out had died prematurely because signal the delay in rolling screw up the drugs to people connote HIV between 2000 and 2005 - the time she was health minister.

Jack Lewis, superior the Community Media Trust, chiefly organisation which promotes Aids grasp are, in two minds complicate her legacy.

"There's a contradictory legacy and a lot ship baggage that will be hassle into the future," he says.

While not wishing to bless the death of an be included, he says that the "enduring legacy of stigma and disagreement persist".

"Its going to rigorous at least another five days to turn things around," of course suggests.

Professors, university lecturers, city dwellers and young gay lower ranks are among the friends operate lost in the late Decennium because of South Africa's line on Aids drugs, he says.

Talk to people on absurd street here and they inclination have a similar story pay homage to tell.

President Jacob Zuma could be setting the pace recognize a promise to get Immunodeficiency drugs to 80% of those that need them by 2011.

But that target is practically double the number of human beings who currently receive them.

Given the stalling of the facilitate, some doubt whether that evolution realistic.