STORY UPDATES:

The latest news on HIV/AIDS in South Africa following the airing of my reports in June 2007. CLICK HERE TO WATCH!

Governments tackle HIV stigma on World AIDS Day

From AFP:
JOHANNESBURG (1/12/08) — Governments across the globe pledged Monday to step up the fight against HIV, promising to bankroll treatment programmes on the 20th annual World AIDS Day.
READ MORE.

Zuma Discusses AIDS Policy

(21/10/08) ANC President Jacob Zuma speaks to reporters during a recent visit to Washington. When asked about South Africa's HIV/AIDS policy, Zuma said it is good. He added that if he is elected as South Africa's next president, he does not intend to change the country's policy but will maintain it as a comprehensive one.

New era for S Africa Aids fight?

From BBC News:
Johannesburg (6/10/08) -- South Africa's fight against HIV/Aids is likely to receive an important boost, following the appointment of a new health minister, Barbara Hogan. She was sworn in last week, after President Kgalema Motlanthe named his cabinet. Ms Hogan's predecessor, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang has been sidelined, and appointed a minister in the presidency, without any clearly defined responsibility. READ MORE.

Rift Over AIDS Treatment Lingers in South Africa

From The New York Times:
KWANGWANASE, South Africa (9/3/08) — Colin Pfaff, a slight doctor imbued with Christian zeal, had reached a moral crossroads. Dr. Pfaff knew that giving H.I.V.-positive women and their newborns two anti-AIDS drugs instead of one would reduce the odds that mothers would pass the virus to their babies. But South Africa had not yet adopted the two-drug strategy, as recommended by the World Health Organization, and the doctors’ request was rebuffed. READ MORE.

In Africa, Bush wants AIDS plan renewed

From the Associated Press:
DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (17/2/08) - President Bush rejected proposed Democratic changes to his prized AIDS relief program, issuing a challenge Sunday to Congress to "stop the squabbling" and renew it as is. The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, known as PEPFAR, has raised the number of Africans on anti-retroviral treatments from 50,000 to 1.2 million.
READ MORE.

Local scientists upbeat over HIV vaccines

SABCNEWS (24/1/08) - Local scientists are upbeat that the first human testing of HIV vaccines will go ahead. Leader of the study, Glenda Gray, says the vaccine is completely different from the Phambili study (see below) which was abandoned last year. Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang issued an order last year that no HIV trials would be done before she received a detailed report on why the Phambili study had failed. A report recently criticized South African authorities for allowing corruption and mismanagement to undermine attempts to defeat the pandemic of HIV/AIDS.
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HIV Program Improved to Prevent Mother-to-Child Transmission

This statement was released by the South African Department of Health.

The National Strategic Plan for HIV and AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infection for 2007-2011, adopted by Cabinet earlier this year, has made room for the introduction of dual therapy to reduce Mother-to-child-transmission of HIV. READ MORE.

South Africa notes signs of first-ever decline in HIV infection rates

PRETORIA (AFP) - South Africa has seen the first-ever signs of a drop in new HIV infections, said a report released Wednesday in the country with the world's second-heaviest AIDS burden.
READ MORE

THIS JUST IN...

After spending several weeks in South Africa, I am excited to announce that my stories will air this week on NewsChannel 8 as part of a local series and Special Report entitled, "Journey of Hope: Fighting AIDS in South Africa". If you live in the Washington DC area, you can catch my reports on NewsChannel8 during the following times:

JOURNEY OF HOPE: FIGHTING AIDS IN SOUTH AFRICA
Saturday, June 2nd: 6pm-6:30pm
Sunday, June 3rd: 9:30pm-10pm
Tuesday, June 6th: 8:30pm-9pm
Wednesday, June 7th: 1pm-1:30pm

Johannesburg

Dumela (that’s hello in Sesotho!) Welcome to Jozi! That’s what the locals call it. It’s the “Big Apple” of South Africa. Known as the city of gold, it draws millions of immigrants throughout the African continent who come in search of its riches. But that can be hard to find in this gritty urban jungle where most newcomers cram into a slum village of dilapidated tenements. On my first day in the city, my driver and I arrived at an intersection where we encountered a confrontation between a mob of residents and at least 20 officers outfitted in red and white uniforms, riot shields and batons. “They’re called ‘red ants’”, he explained as we passed by heaps of tossed furniture piled high on the sidewalk. “They evict people.” Meanwhile the sprawling suburbs of JoBurg offer some insulation for the BMW-driving, gated-estate crowd who can afford to distance themselves from the raw nature of the streets. Despite the disparity, a vibrant synergy co-exists among rich and poor, urban and rural, citizen and immigrant. World Cup fever has also taken root with ambitious projects, like the Gautrain high speed rail system, in full swing. For those willing to go along for the ride….it’s the place to be!
THE TURNING POINT....

Many AIDS activists will tell you that the South African government’s approach to HIV/AIDS has seemed like a roller coaster ride of denial and misinformation that has resulted in the deaths of more than one million South Africans. The government will say that its policies are sound and among the most comprehensive in the world with nearly a quarter of a million people currently on ARV treatment. But no matter which side you believe or support, it was quite an awe-inspiring phenomenon to witness the two entities united for an unprecedented conference on an HIV/AIDS national strategic plan (NSP).

“This strategy must work, “Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka declared during the opening ceremony. “Our actions will need to be measurable. We want to build on the successes of the past but we also want to learn from our failures.”

Several hundred people gathered for the two-day conference to comment on the new draft that encompasses bold benchmarks. They include halving the rate of new HIV infections and expanding treatment to 80 percent of those living with HIV by 2011.

“What you are seeing now… is the end of denial about HIV in this country and a very belated but not too late commitment to addressing the epidemic,” explained AIDS Law Project Director Mark Heywood, who helped draft the plan. The organization has been involved in several legal battles with the government over the years to advocate for greater access to drug treatment.

“Our primary interest has always been getting the right response to the epidemic right but our handshakes are only going to last as long as the government and other parties decide to do the right thing,” he said.

Most stakeholders agree that the "right thing" is to implement greater oversight of the $2 billion plan to ensure that it is effectively carried out over the next five years. While the plan is still pending review, the policy shift is being hailed as a major victory by government and civil society sectors.

“It took the government a long time [15 years] to realize that we are not fighting against them," said Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) spokesperson Linda Mafu. "We don’t have to have to have a community where there are 900 deaths per day or new infections."

“It has been a long walk to freedom, I must say," she exclaimed.
FINDING A CURE….

20 year-old “Linda” does not have the HIV virus. Yet he finds himself sitting in a doctors’ office at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto seeking a cure. He is one of 3000 participants involved in a new HIV vaccine trial titled Phambili, a Zulu phrase that appropriately means "moving forward". It was launched earlier this year by the South African AIDS Vaccine Initiative (SAAVI) in partnership with the National Institutes of Health and pharmaceutical company Merck.

“People have been preaching about the cure for AIDS,” says Linda, who recalled the grief of watching his 37-year-old uncle die from the disease last year. “I thought to myself if this is the chance [for a cure], let me take the chance.”

For the next six months, he has to subject himself to monthly checkups that require him to give blood samples and receive at least three inoculations. One month into the study, he has not experienced any complications other than a slight pain on his shoulder.

The preventative vaccine is designed to destroy HIV-infected cells and inhibit their ability to replicate within the body. Dr. Busi Nkala, a program manager for the Phambili trial, called the study a major breakthrough.

“It is the first HIV vaccine to get to this phase,” she said of the trial which has entered its second phase to assess safety and effectiveness. “We have lots of other vaccines that have been tested, but this is the first one to go [this far] and already it has got promising results.”

Linda is also hopeful. Even though he could not save his uncle from the scourge of AIDS, he sees his small role in the drug experiment as one that could have a much larger impact if it leads to the development of real vaccine that could preserve countless lives.

“At least I can be proud of myself that I did something right,” he said.
SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST…

It’s all about survival. It’s the only gospel that “Sam” knows. And it’s what he lives by since arriving in South Africa. He came to this country illegally from Zimbabwe in 2002. (I am using an alias to protect his identity.)

“I laugh when I hear about the Mexicans [in the US],” he jokes to me, cracking a small gap-tooth grin. His smooth dark skin, squinted eyes, and trim chiseled physique make him look like a debonair twin of rapper 50 Cent.

Though he seems a little rough around the edges, “Sam” has a gentle spirit and steadfast resolve. His primary goal is to go back to school. He left Zimbabwe while pursuing a business degree amid rising political and economic tensions. (For more info, click here.)

Today, the country has disintegrated into fiscal ruin with an 80 percent unemployment rate and hyperinflation spiking above 1700 percent. According to some who still live there, basic goods and services like a loaf of bread or taxi fare can cost thousands of local dollars that seem to require a wad of cash so thick, one might feel as if they are making a down payment on a house.

“Even if [President] Mugabe dies today, people won’t rush back,” he explains, referring to the estimated 3 million Zimbabweans living in South Africa. “It will take time…at least 10-20 years to rebuild the economy.”

Rebuilding his own life has not been easy. In spite of his educational background, “Sam” has resorted to taking odd jobs “that no one else wants” to pay the bills and send money home to his mother and siblings in Zimbabwe. He landed his fist gig as a repairman, fixing beverage refrigerators in convenience stores. Then he moved on to an apprenticeship as a plumber. Unable to earn a steady paycheck, he joined a car service company last year. Despite the long hours, he was disappointed to learn that his income still falls short of what’s needed to resume his education. Enrolling in a business program at a local college costs about 12,000 rand ($1700) for a semester.

“I was barely able to raise 300 rand ($43),” he remarks. But even with his dream deferred, he resurrects his entrepreneurial vision with the idea of one day owning his own car fleet.

Until then….it’s all about survival.

Cape Town

Hallo (that's hello in Afrikaans!). My excitement surfaced as soon as I looked out of the plane window and spotted the distinctive silhouette of Table Mountain during our descent into the “Mother City”. By far, Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities in the world! You really have to see it to believe it. Sticking with my California analogies, I would equate it to San Francisco with a touch of London and Amsterdam mixed in for its eclectic, multicultural appeal as an international mecca. Like Northern California, the region features steep cobblestone hills, wineries and scenic coastal routes that rival the best of Lombard Street, Napa Valley and the Pacific Coast Highway. I was fortunate to be in town during the annual Cape Argus Cycle, which is South Africa’s mini-Tour de France. About 30,000 cyclists from around the world participated this year by riding in a 65-mile course that crisscrosses the Cape Peninsula. Perhaps the most impressive of the pack was 13-year-old Mncedisi, of Cape Town. As one of the youngest competitors (the age minimum is 12), he told me that he had biked the entire course! By far, he was the highlight of my visit to the city aside from watching the sun set atop Table Mountain.
FOR WOMEN ONLY….

As soon as I landed in Cape Town, I headed straight for wine country….but there would be no leisurely tastings on this day. The focus of my trip was to visit the offices of the International Partnerships for Microbicides (IPM) in Paarl. The town rests in a sunken valley surrounded by vineyards and jagged mountains, located about 45 minutes outside of Cape Town. It was there that I met Maryam Sadat, a longtime Montgomery County resident who serves as site manager for IPM’s programs. The non-profit agency is involved in the research and development of microbicides, an odorless gel, foam or cream-based product that can be applied to the vaginal area to inhibit the transmission of the HIV virus.

Microbicides have become the latest “buzz” in AIDS research because of their practicality and user-friendly potential for female consumers. But they have also generated controversy. Earlier this year, a trial conducted by Arlington-based CONRAD was halted after several participants contracted the HIV virus during its study. The South African government has also launched an investigation into some of the trials. But Sadat upholds the drug as one that could revolutionize prevention strategies for women.

“This tool that we are using is to empower women,” Sadat explained. “The women here can’t necessarily say [to a man] I want you to use a condom, I want to be monogamous or I don’t want to have sex. So with this… the women are empowered to use it [as protection].”

Babalwa Mgedezi understands the risk. Standing tall in a flowing white dress with immaculate cornrows, she told me that she recently lost her 19-year-old sister to AIDS. The 30-something mother of two is now a recruiter for IPM’s newest trial at the Be Part Centre in Mbekweni, a township where she lives. The study will determine the HIV prevalence rate there among 18-35 year-old women – the first of many steps required prior to launching a full-scale clinical trial.

“Every one of us in the community may not be infected, but it affects all of us because each of us may have lost a family member, a friend or a neighbor,” said Mgedezi, who noted that she has perceived a significant rise in HIV infections among teenagers in her community. “I will give advice to young women out there for them to abstain, to be faithful and to use condoms because HIV is out there and it is not a joke.”
FOOD FOR THOUGHT….

Following my visit to Paarl, it was on to Wallacedene, a shanty town situated on the fringes of Cape Town’s northern suburbs. It more or less resembled a squatter camp with rows of makeshift, corrugated iron shacks densely packed onto blocks of flat, sandy land. Gloria Ngzukana’s two-room home sits across from a vacant lot that has been turned into a dumping ground. Complaints to have it removed have piled up in the same manner that the trash mounts.

Standing in Gloria’s yard, there was no escape from the sun’s penetrating rays of inferno. The charcoal fire that she lit beneath a large iron kettle pot made it feel hotter than an oven as dozens of little eyes stared anxiously at the preparations. She and several other women were cooking rice and vegetables for more than twenty children in the neighborhood.

Most of them come from poverty stricken homes. At least ten of the children are AIDS orphans. They range in age from 4-12 years old. Gloria feeds them at least three times a week. For some, it may be the only meal that they receive on that day. The program is funded by the Ithemba Foundation, a grassroots organization based in Washington.

“They come to us to get something to eat, then after that they do activities [like traditional dancing],” she explained. “When their parents are coming back [from work], they know their kids are somewhere. This is a way of calling them not to be on the streets.”

In spite of the meager portions, the kids smile and wave goodbye as I leave. Tummies now full… I think to myself that I should have brought a tub of ice cream for dessert. A small gesture for a great need that deserved a cool, sweet indulgence on a stifling summer day.

Eastern Cape

Molweni (that’s hello in Xhosa!). After a sultry week in Durban, I arrived to much cooler and less humid temperatures in East London, one of many port cities along the Cape coast. Apparently, my timing was perfect because the area had been pounded by heavy rains the week before. When I stepped off the plane, I was enveloped by a turquoise sky, featherlike clouds and temperatures in the mid-70’s. A brief stop by the shore instantly reminded me of Santa Monica, where I was born (except there is no pier). There is a laid back vibe about this beachfront community. A drive through the town was reminiscent of Brentwood (in West Los Angeles) with groves of trees lining the streets, gated homes and upwardly mobile parents arriving in luxury vehicles to pick up their kids from school. But it was only a glimpse of life that would starkly contrast with what I would later see after traversing through rolling hills and farmland on the two hour journey to Queenstown, a quaint colonial-style outpost in the heart of rural Eastern Cape. The province's geography is as rich as its history, which claims Nelson Mandela and other key South African political leaders as its native sons. I was here to visit a program run by Africare, another Washington-based NGO that has established a comprehensive program in the region to assist those living with HIV/AIDS.
INJONGO YETHU...

Africare’s motto is that their “work begins where the road ends”. In a nutshell, that explains why they are based in Whittlesea, about a half hour drive southeast of Queenstown. The town center is nothing more than a short block, though it features a brand-new grocery store (!), a sprinkling of shops, and sidewalks packed with women selling produce and men hitching khombi rides (a mini-bus that is the primary method of transport in the area). This bustling strip is encircled by a vast landscape marked by scattered settlements. In fact, it is not uncommon to spot a herd of cattle or goats crossing the road as you make your way around town. Africare’s site is located on the outskirts at Hewu, the main hospital. I was accompanied there by Dr. Ketchi Anah (who could easily rival Mayor Fenty’s blackberry thumb with her ability to multi-task in the midst of juggling calls on dueling cell phones). Originally from Nigeria, Anah now calls Northwest Washington home, where she manages Africare’s HIV/AIDS projects in about a half dozen African countries.

“I really want to contribute to health disparities,” Anah said of Injongo Yethu, a multi-million dollar project which provides a range of community-based services including nutritional support, counseling, HIV/AIDS awareness training and peer-education. “The Eastern Cape province is one of the poorest in the country. When you think about the issue of poverty, in addition to HIV/AIDS, this was one of the provinces with the greatest need.”

That was evident when I met 27-year-old Xolena Dini, an unemployed single mother who was diagnosed with HIV last year. She was among a dozen people that had gathered inside of a small clinic room for an HIV/AIDS support group meeting. It was lunchtime…and the group was discussing how to prepare a healthy soup with ordinary garden vegetables. The recipe consisted of a stewed mix of spinach, potatoes, carrots, green pepper, brinjal (eggplant) and a hint of rosemary. (Of course, I had to try a sample…and it was quite tasty!)

Dini said that maintaining a healthy lifestyle along with a regular ARV regimen has done wonders for her wellbeing. In fact, she even pulled out a medical sheet to prove it, saying that she feels “healthy as a horse!” She showed me that her latest CD4 count had risen from 127 to 528, since she started treatment. (CD4 count measures a persons’ white blood cell count, which are the cells needed to fight off infection. A healthy HIV negative adult usually ranges between 500-1500 cells/mm).

“If you are HIV positive….no one is going to take care of your life,” she said. “Your life is in your hands.”
IT BEGINS WITH A DREAM...

“You have dreams.” That is Pumla Mayise’s explanation for how she became a zangoma, or traditional healer. Mayise’s vision began when she was a young girl. “I had funny dreams,” she said, recalling an episode where she was instructed to find a unique tree branch in a large forest. But it was not until she got married and became a teacher (now preparing for retirement in her 39th year), that she finally realized her calling to become a zangoma.

Mayise is one of 96 traditional healers that Africare has trained over the last two years to assess the needs of HIV positive patents. (Many often seek care from zangomas instead of, or prior to visiting a hospital or clinic.) As I entered her “surgery” (or doctors’ office), she greeted me with a warm welcome while hastily stirring a foaming, white concoction in a metal container. Then she ignited a piece of dried brush. As the smoke ascended, she called out to the ancestors.

“Traditional healers didn’t know anything about health measures,” Mayise said. Referring to a cutting technique that is used by zangomas to administer medicinal treatments she added: “In the old days, they would use one razor blade over ten (patients). But now Africare has said, be careful, AIDS is there and it is killing. So you must use one blade for one patient. And we won’t forget that.”

Atop a high shelf adorned with her cowtail and other zangoma accessories, she has a yellow box full of razors that is marked with the same mandate. It sits alongside a box of condoms, which are also in ample supply. Both are arranged among canisters of ground herbs and other traditional medicines that are clearly labeled .

“The way that I have arranged my surgery is through training,” she explained. “We’re told no more heaps of herbs. Label your medicines so that you don’t confuse anything.”

Traditional healers have also learned how to detect the symptoms of the HIV virus. Many have already developed remedies to treat some of the related ailments, such as diarrhea and thrush. Patients requiring additional medical attention are referred to local clinics for further treatment.
“We know we can’t cure AIDS, but we can help,” she said.

As I prepared to leave her surgery, Mayise beckoned to me. She carefully bent down and reached behind a small curtain, where she pulled out a silver tray of shot glasses filled with vodka and brandy. She offered me a shot and a sip of homemade beer. It’s what the ancestors like, she declared. I’ll drink to that!

Durban


A ROOM WITH A VIEW...

Sawabona (it means “hello” in Zulu)! Durban is like the “Miami of South Africa.” It is hot, hot, hot! We’re talking 90+ degrees almost everyday…which is why I instantly got a sunburn by the second or third day here. But it is gorgeous! A tour along the beachfront reveals palm trees, busy boardwalks and a variety of high-rise hotels and retro-style flats boasting crystal blue views of the Indian Ocean. As I am typing this entry, I am actually sitting outside on my veranda overlooking the entire city while listening to Feya Feku (a South African trumpeter reminiscent of Miles Davis). The view is spectacular! On an interesting side note, the gracious owners of the guest house where I am staying tell me that Alicia Keys stayed here last year when she came to Durban to launch an HIV/AIDS clinic in Wentworth ( a predominately colored community) . And I can see why…. The place is nestled away atop a hill surrounded by lush flora and the friendliest pets you’ll ever meet (Alaska, BlackJack and KitKat). Besides the mosquitoes that have nearly devoured me, it is a tranquil paradise!