SA's Three-Letter Plague
Everyone knows the story of how HIV/AIDS treatment finally became available to ordinary South Africans. It is a tale of science and reason pitted against denial and superstition, of a long struggle in which AIDS activists eventually prevailed over politicians.
By now, the life-prolonging effects of antiretroviral (ARV) treatment have become a familiar and comforting antidote to the years of helplessly watching people succumb to the virus. With the right of poor Africans to ARV treatment firmly established, and their ability to adhere to a lifelong drug regimen well demonstrated, the new struggle is to ensure that every HIV-positive African in need of treatment receives it.
