Former President Nelson Mandela Fought Against AIDS/HIV as a Human Right Issue Danielle Restuccia - VOXXI
go to original December 6, 2013

Nelson Mandela legacy lives on (AlJazeeraEnglish)

On Thursday, December 5, 2013, Jacob Zuma, the president of South Africa, confirmed that legendary human rights activist and ex-South African leader Nelson Mandela had passed away.

Nelson Mandela undoubtedly steered the world’s course for the better, changed the curve of history and defined the fight against AIDS/HIV as a human right issue.

While the world mourns the loss of a leader in racial equality, the man who effectively brought apartheid to a close in South Africa, we’re also losing a leader in the fight against AIDS and HIV.  When Nelson Mandela stepped down from political office in 1999, he stepped into a new role as an advocate for AIDS awareness and prevention.

His work in that realm continues to help South Africa, as well as the entire African continent, fight the epidemic.

Growth of AIDS and HIV

In the mid-90s, the AIDS epidemic was on a meteoric rise in South Africa, with few research or preventative services available.

According to South Africa History Online, the number of infected citizens in the country rose by 60% in just two years, from 1991-1993. By the late 1990s, infection had spread in sub-Saharan Africa to such an extent that 1 in 4 adults in Botswana was infected, with up to 40% of pregnant women carrying HIV.

According to BBC, knowledge was so scant that even Nelson Mandela’s later vice president, Thabo Mbeki, was unsure about the connection between HIV and AIDS. South Africa’s Health minister in 1999, Manto Tshabalala Msimang, suggested treatments including garlic and beetroot, raising the ire of many who were frustrated by the lack of antiretroviral medicines.

Providing a Spark

Though Mandela had not focused on the AIDS epidemic during his presidency, when he stepped down from office in 1999 he took action. Part of his fight was to reverse the culture of shame and silence surrounding AIDS: many South Africans were fearful of mentioning the disease, despite its prevalence.

In contrast to that attitude, Mandela declared the situation a “human rights issue,” according to the Huffington Post, and said that people needed to be able to speak openly about the disease.

In 2000, Mandela announced his intent to face the problem head-on, stating that South Africa needed a combined program of abstinence, condom-use, early treatment, counseling, and medications to help reduce disease transmission from mother to child.

A few years later, in 2003, he launched the “46664” campaign through the Nelson Mandela Foundation, with the goal being to raise money for research and medications.

As he spoke out, others began contributing to the campaign, helping to increase awareness of the problem and allowing South Africans to seek treatment without the burden of a heavy stigma. Michel Sidibe, the executive director of UNAIDS, told AFP that Mandela was “the one who really helped us break the conspiracy of silence” surrounding the HIV and AIDS epidemic.

Mandela’s Lasting Impact

Across sub-Saharan Africa, the rate of fatality for AIDS-related illness declined by 32% from 2005-2011, according to the Huffington Post, though South Africa still has one of the highest rates of HIV infection in the world.

The Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund is currently working on building a hospital dedicated to children in South Africa, using a donated portion of Mandela’s presidential salary.

Money raised from Mandela’s efforts continues to fund AIDS research in South Africa and across the continent, and the high-profile concerts put on by way of his 46664 campaign have alerted people of all ages, world-wide, of the urgency of this fight.

To say that Nelson Mandela will be missed is a gross understatement, but his legacy will live on for years to come. In the words of South Africa’s current president, Jacob Zuma, “This is indeed the moment of our deepest sorrow. Yet it must also be the moment of our greatest determination. A determination to live as Madiba has lived.”

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