AIDS lobby group suspends campaign

A South African AIDS lobby group on Thursday announced the "temporary suspension" of its most recent campaign against local pharmaceutical companies. The "Black Easter" campaign by the National Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS (NAPWA) began on 17 April in a bid to force drug manufacturers to provide free antiretrovirals to disadvantaged and unemployed people who are HIV-positive. NAPWA said the suspension followed a request by local pharmaceutical companies to meet on the issue. However, NAPWA information officer, Siyabonga Gumede, said if no agreement was reached, the group would intensify its campaign. "We plan on launching an appeal to the general public to boycott everyday products manufactured by some of these companies," Gumede told the UN news service PlusNews.