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Treatment plan stalled by differences

The Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) on Wednesday stressed the urgency for a treatment plan for South Africans living with HIV/AIDS.

"While we applaud President Thabo Mbeki's move to avert a possible war against Iraq, we are concerned about the delay in government action on HIV/AIDS," spokesman for the SACBC AIDS office, Anthony Ambrose, told the UN news service PlusNews.

Opposition parties have criticised Mbeki's recent State of the Nation speech for devoting too much time to the proposed war against Iraq, and neglecting the HIV/AIDS pandemic in South Africa.

Ambrose said the current miscommunication between the government and AIDS activists was hampering progress for a national HIV/AIDS treatment plan.

"The government and HIV/AIDS activists must work together for the sake of all those affected by the pandemic," Ambrose added.


This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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