Tutu Says South Africa No Longer Embarrassed over AIDS

South Africa, which suffered through years of official AIDS denialism, need not be ashamed of its current response to the epidemic, Desmond Tutu said Tuesday. The former Anglican archbishop of Cape Town, now retired, spoke at a UN conference dedicated to enlisting a new generation of activists to combat AIDS.

“For many years, we were embarrassed in international gatherings for what we were not doing in fighting AIDS. We therefore thank the Minister of Health Aaron Motsoaledi for the change in policy,” Tutu said. The campaign led by Motsoaledi was launched in 2009 by President Jacob Zuma; it followed years of ineffective action by the previous health minister, who publicly questioned the link between HIV and AIDS.

“We are definitely joining hands with the rest of the world in the fight against HIV/AIDS,” Motsoaledi said at the conference. “I think we will win.”

Those attending included Tung Bui, of the Vietnamese group Youth Lead. “We are ready to make a difference in the lives of many who have been infected, while preventing future infections,” Bui said. Tutu responded, “It is a very rare privilege and honor for us, the older ones, to say we are passing the baton to you, the young, to carry on with the fight against this pandemic.”

The conference was held on Robben Island, near Cape Town, where the prison that once housed future President Nelson Mandela and other anti-apartheid activists has been converted to a museum.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.


TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!