Manto is the South African Minister of Health. She is the head government official in charge of the all of the health services in the country – including the government’s response to HIV/AIDS.
In theory, all South Africans are entitled to free health care provided by the government. Not many people acutally get it though due to a variety of reasons, lack of clinics and hospitals near where they live, not enough nurses or health care workers in the health facilities (causing long lines or back-ups sometimes meaning people have to go back and forth to the clinic several times before they get care), lack of transportation (or money for transportation) to the health facilities, lack of supplies, poor administration of government funds for health care, government inefficiency, poor coordination among the levels of the government health department and plain old thievery and corruption.
Manto is only one woman and can not be expected to solve all of these problems during her term as Health Minister. One would, however, expect her to at least make an EFFORT to address them. But instead she really doesn’t seem to care and every time she is criticiszed by the media or civil society, she shrugs them off with excuses like, “they are misinformed and don’t know what they’re talking about” or “our policies are some of the best in the world” or by listing the health “acheivements” South Africa has made in the past few years. Too bad those acheivements would probably be alot more impressive if she hadnt been around to retard the process with her nonsense, double-talk, misinformation and denial.
Manto is most famous for her misguided, confused and contradictory response to and statements about HIV/AIDS. Her statements have been so bizarre and dangerous, that she’s drawn the attention of the international media and be been denounced by the UN envoy on HIV/AIDS Stephen Lewis (Score one for Canada!).
Let me explain: As we all know, HIV is a virus that destroys a person’s immune system. People develop AIDS when the HIV virus has killed enough of their CD4 or T-cells, the cells in our bodies that protect us from getting sick or developing infections. A person dies from AIDS when their immune system can no longer fight of the infections and illnesses. There is a period of sometimes several years before a person who has HIV (and is for the most part healthy) develops AIDS and becomes sick.
Manto advocates good nutrition as being the answer and the best treatment for people with AIDS, and the best way to prevent AIDS from developing in people with HIV. In particular she advises people to use readily available foods such as beets, african potato, and lemon juice to treat and prevent AIDS. Which is RIDICULOUS and untrue. Good nutrition is important for everyone, regardless of their HIV status. It is also illegal under SA law to make therapeutic claims about any treatments that have not undergone clinical trials to prove their efficacy.
What gets everyone so worked-up: she often either completely ignores or fails to mention the medications that are available for people with AIDS, or even worse – tells people they are dangerous when in fact these medicines save lives, rebuild the immune system and allow people who would otherwise be dead to live FOR YEARS. There are side-effects that some people have when taking these medicines, but these are rarely life threatening and most go away after a short while.
The government of South Africa is required to supply all of its citizens with AIDS with medications. By telling people that these medicines are dangerous or not mentioning that they are available, free of charge from the government, Manto is doing a disservice to the people of South Africa. And this is crap.
At the International AIDS Conference this month she was spouting the same BS about beets AGAIN which is what inspired the vandalism of the SA conference booth (where she had imported vegetables on display as the SA response to AIDS, and no mention of meds anywhere per usual) and media firestorm.
Posted by amberinke 
This Is Africa 