AIDS activists in South Africa

The complex HIV and AIDS situation in South Africa has provoked an extraordinary response from citizens and civil society.

High profile figures such asthe President and a health minister have held dissident scientific perspectiveson the HIV virus and promoted ‘indigenous knowledge’ and ‘local solutions’ aspart of a cultural nationalist programme. This led people to distrust thescientific establishment. Combined with popular myths, stigma and shame around HIVand AIDS, it had a devastating impact on public health interventions.

Research from the University of Western Cape looks at the Treatment Action Campaign’s (TAC) strategiesto get access to life-saving drugs for poor people, in a context wherescientific authority was distrusted by powerful people and large sections ofthe public. TAC interacted with scientists, the media, the legal system, non-governmentorganisations and the government. Its main strategy, however, was to mobilise supportin schools and poor communities through HIV and AIDS treatment literacycampaigns and awareness campaigns. TAC widely publicised their victories overthe South African government and multinational pharmaceutical companies.

TAC draws on a rights-basedapproach asserting the right of citizens to scientific knowledge, treatmentinformation and the latest research findings. In addition to accessing medicaltreatment, TAC is concerned with creating ‘empowered citizens’ who understandthe connection between biomedicine, the wider social world and the politicaleconomy of health. However, there is a lot still to be done. A major challengenow is how to make this widespread so that poor working class citizens areempowered and responsible in their approach to HIV and AIDS, treatment andhealth care.