Nature editorial reports the firing of an important AIDS spokesperson in South Africa: Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge, the deputy health minister.
South Africa has the highest incidence of AIDS in the world, with 5.5 million infected. Madlala Routledge has been the main outspoken person behind the recently applauded national AIDS strategy, with practical plans to halve rate of infection by 2011 and make antiretroviral treatment accessible to 80% of population (only 30% are receiving it).
The firing of this deputy health minister sends a very bad signal for the progress of the AIDS plan, mainly because the current health minister has such misguided values about AIDS (one example is her denial that HIV causes AIDs, which embarrassed herself at the World AIDSCongress in Toronto), and at the same time reflects the government's bad sense judgment in the choice of their leaders.
And the culprit, as always, is conflict of interest... When perople are so concerned about their interests being threatened, they can easily place their own interests on top of the interests of the other million.
South Africa has the highest incidence of AIDS in the world, with 5.5 million infected. Madlala Routledge has been the main outspoken person behind the recently applauded national AIDS strategy, with practical plans to halve rate of infection by 2011 and make antiretroviral treatment accessible to 80% of population (only 30% are receiving it).
The firing of this deputy health minister sends a very bad signal for the progress of the AIDS plan, mainly because the current health minister has such misguided values about AIDS (one example is her denial that HIV causes AIDs, which embarrassed herself at the World AIDSCongress in Toronto), and at the same time reflects the government's bad sense judgment in the choice of their leaders.
And the culprit, as always, is conflict of interest... When perople are so concerned about their interests being threatened, they can easily place their own interests on top of the interests of the other million.
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People should read this.
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