More research needed into public sector AIDS impact - Mbeki

South African AIDS activists have lashed out against the "denialist" manner in which President Thabo Mbeki has chosen to deal with his country's pandemic.

In a recent interview with local media, the President maintained that the public service was not facing an HIV/AIDS crisis, despite recent research by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) proving otherwise.

Mark Heywood, head of the AIDS Law Project, told PlusNews it was not uncommon for the president to play down the true extent of the pandemic.

"He has done it in the past and continues to do it at present. But its makes no sense that Mbeki's government would spend millions of dollars to tackle a disease that does not exist," said Heywood.

Just weeks earlier Finance Minister Trevor Manuel announced that national spending on AIDS would rise to more than $258 million in 2006/07.

Heywood said the scientific community, through intensive research, bore testament to the impact of the pandemic, not just on the general population, but the public service as well.

In a study covering more than 20,000 respondents in 54 districts last year, the HSRC estimated that a minimum of 10,000 teachers were in urgent need of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, but were not getting them.

Mbeki, however, dismissed the findings of the HRSC as highly speculative.

"Nothing has been said by anybody like the thing [teachers' report] you are indicating - that you have got this kind of wastage as a result of AIDS. I have not seen any such thing," he told the City Press newspaper.

While unable to comment on whether or not the president had read their published document, HRSC executive director Dr Olive Shisana, was certain of the implication of failed treatment for the nation's HIV-positive teachers.

"The numbers are real. Some 12.7 percent of educators were found to be living with the HI virus. Of that percentage, at least 10,000 are in immediate need of ARVs," Shisana told PlusNews.

The South African Democratic Teacher's Union (SADTU) had implemented an ARV rollout programme for their teachers, but were able to treat less than half of the total number.

"SADTU is doing all it can, but needs the backing of the state in order to reach its target. Only 3,000 of the number in need are accessing ARVs through SADTU," said Shisana.

The HRSC has recommended that the government provide a separate rollout plan to its national one in order to address the needs of the country's educators.