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South Africa Makes World AIDS Day Pledge

Posted on December 1, 2009 by Nick Chapin
Topics: Culture, HIV/AIDS
Countries: South Africa, United States
An HIV positive woman marches in Cape Town, South Africa. Photo: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/worldbank/1128198005/">Trevor Samson/World Bank Photo Collection (Flickr)</a>
An HIV positive woman marches in Cape Town, South Africa. Photo: Trevor Samson/World Bank Photo Collection (Flickr)

Earlier today, South Africa's President Jacob Zuma announced an ambitious plan to combat HIV/AIDS. Zuma called for more HIV testing centers, better treatment facilities and emphasized the need to identify and treat HIV-positive children younger than one year old, CNN reports.

Zuma's plan ends a decade of neglect imposed by his predecessor Thabo Mbeki. The former president adamantly refused to recognize that the HIV virus led to AIDS and blocked necessary medication from entering his country. A study mentioned in Forbes Magazine suggests Mbeki's policies lead to the deaths of more than 350,000 South African adults and 35,000 babies.

The speech was welcomed by the international community. Without skipping a beat, the United States pledged $120 million to supplement President Zuma’s new policies.

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Comments

Tue, 12/01/2009 - 22:52 — Ian Goldsmith in Portland, OR

Kenya Working to Stop AIDS

On a related note, the Kenyan government last week launched a program called "Jitambue leo, ni haki yako," which is Swahili for "Know yourself today, it is your right." The program aims to test one million people for AIDS in a three week period.

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