Timeline: HIV/Aids in South Africa 1996-2000
- 1996
- Ms Rose Smart is appointed as Director of HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Illnesses (STIs) in the South African Department of Health.
- Brazil becomes the first developing nation to distribute ARVs. In other developing countries, only a small minority could access treatment for HIV.
- International Aids Vaccine Initiative, an NGO, forms to help speed the search for an effective HIV/Aids vaccine.
- Aids related deaths in the USA decline by more than 40% compared to the prior year thanks to HAART.
- AIDS researcher Dr. David Ho is named Man of the Year by Time magazine. Recognizing the dynamic nature of HIV replication in the body, Dr. Ho and his coworkers were early proponents of combination antiretroviral therapy, including protease inhibitors.
Dr David Ho, Man of the Year, December 1996 TIME magazine cover - 1 December, The Department of Health hosts a special event; the National World AIDS day in Bloemfontein, Free State. In Pretoria, the theme is “One world, One hope”.
- 1997
- Number of Aids deaths drops in the US for first time since 1981.
- 25 March, The Department of Health's National HIV/AIDS and STI Directorate hosts a Workplace Forum on HIV/AIDS in Johannesburg.
8 August, The Department of Health hosts a Johannesburg press conference for the National consultation on HIV/AIDS and STI review, to develop a common vision for an expanded response to the epidemic. - October, Dr N C Dlamini-Zuma establishes the Interdepartmental Committee (IDC) as a mechanism to facilitate and strengthen the response to HIV/AIDS by Government departments at all levels.
- 1998
- First large scale human trials for an HIV/Aids vaccine begin.
- Despite early optimism several reports indicate growing signs of treatment failure and side effects from HAART.
- 16 June, The National AIDS Programme in the Department of Health and National Youth Commission launches an HIV/AIDS youth awareness initiative.
- 2 October, Members of Executive Councils of Health from various provinces take a decision not to introduce an Azidothyminide (AZT) regimen to AIDS sufferers in South Africa.
- 27 October, Research shows that about 34% of pregnant women pass on the HIV virus in the last stage of their pregnancy and through breastfeeding.
- 10 December, The Treatment Action Campaign is launched at St George Cathedral, Cape Town on International human rights day. This grassroots movement begins pushing for access to treatment.
- 1999
- Nevirapine becomes the drug of choice for preventing mother-to-child transmission.
- First human vaccine trial in a developing country begins in Thailand.
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Zapiro cartoon. Source: google imagesManto Tshabalala-Msimang becomes South Africa’s Health minister (until 2008), her term is riddled with controversy because of her emphasis on treating South Africa's AIDS epidemic with vegetables such as garlic and beetroot, rather than with western antiretroviral medicines, was the subject of international criticism.
- 29 September, Religious leaders partner with government against HIV/AIDS. (initiative by Rev. S Tshelane)
- 9 October, The religious leaders pledge to take HIV/AIDS to the pulpit and other places of worship as part of activities to observe the first birthday of the Partnership Against HIV/AIDS.
- 2000
- Southern Africa becomes the epicenter of what is now a global pandemic.
- In Botswana, up to one in four adults and 40% of pregnant women have HIV.
- The Clinton Administration formally declared HIV/AIDS to be a threat to U.S national security. The United States government believed that the global spread of AIDS was reaching catastrophic dimensions that could topple foreign governments, spark ethnic wars and undo decades of work building free-market democracies abroad. It was the first time the National Security Council was involved in fighting an infectious disease.
- Drugs companies start to cut prices of AZT for poor countries. But Treatment provision remained non-existent in South Africa.
- January, The partnership is formalized by South African National Aids Council (SANAC) to review its two years of work against HIV/AIDS, under the leadership of Deputy President Jacob Zuma.
- 9 July - 14 July, 13th International AIDS conference is held in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal (The first time the conference is held in a developing country), heightening awareness of the global pandemic. Nkosi Johnson, an eleven year old HIV-positive boy, gave a speech in the opening ceremony of the conference and called for the government to give AZT to pregnant HIV-positive women. Mbeki used his opening address at the conference to stress the role of poverty in explaining the problems faced by Africa.
- Later, Mbeki stated in an interview with the Time Magazine that he did not think that HIV alone caused AIDS.
"Clearly there is such a thing as acquired immune deficiency. The question you have to ask is what produces this deficiency. A whole variety of things can cause the immune system to collapse… But the notion that immune deficiency is only acquired from a single virus cannot be sustained. Once you say immune deficiency is acquired from that virus your response will be antiviral drugs. But if you accept that there can be a variety of reasons, including poverty and the many diseases that afflict Africans, then you can have a more comprehensive treatment response." – Thabo Mbeki - Mbeki’s staments cause a national and international outcry.
- October, President Mbeki announced his withdrawal from the scientific and public debate on the causes of AIDS after admitting that he had created confusion in South Africa.
