Coalition welcomes release of Draft Intellectual Property Policy
JOHANNESBURG, 14th AUGUST 2017 – On 8 August 2017, the Department of Trade and Industry published the Draft Intellectual Property Policy of the Republic of South Africa, Phase I, 2017. The Fix the Patent Laws Campaign (FTPL) welcomes its publication for public comment. The FTPL, a coalition of 34...
TAC calls for Deputy Minister Manana to be immediately fired
JOHANNESBURG, 7th AUGUST 2017 – The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) is shocked and outraged to learn of Deputy Minister of Higher Education Mduduzi Manana assaulting a woman over the weekend. TAC condemns the actions of Manana and calls on law enforcement authorities to appropriately and quickly ...
Growing crisis at NHLS threatens access to essential health care services, particularly for HIV and TB
Joint statement by the Treatment Action Campaign and SECTION27: The growing crisis at the National Health Laboratory Services (NHLS) threatens access to essential health care services, particularly for HIV and TB JOHANNESBURG, 1st AUGUST 2017 – The ongoing strike at the National Health Laborato...
Pledge for comrades Mark & Prudence
A speech delivered on Sunday 23rd July by Treatment Action Campaign Deputy General Secretary, Sibongile Tshabalala, at the International AIDS Society conference in Paris, France on behalf of activists at the conference. — We lost gogo Prudence Nobantu Mabele. She died in 2017 with a CD4 count of...
TAC welcomes ARVs on campus in KZN
The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) welcomes the announcement that the University of Zululand will provide HIV treatment to students and staff on campus. If implemented effectively, this should provide an easier and quicker system for people to collect their ARVs and therefore ensure better treat...
Pledge for Prudence
Mark Heywood paid tribute to AIDS, human rights and gender activist Prudence Mabele who recently passed away – July 19th 2017 My dear friend and comrade Prudence, Thank you for honoring me as a “friend” to speak at your funeral. You have many beautiful friends and comrades, so I am not sure why I...
Goederede Clinic – still failing patients
KWAGGAFONTEIN, 17th JULY 2017 – Today 50 members of the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) in Mpumalanga are picketing outside Goederede Clinic because of its failure to provide adequate healthcare services to the community. Patients who use the clinic face excessive waiting times, poor staff attitu...
No end to the crisis at Thelle Mogoerane Hospital
In September last year, TAC Vosloorus marched to Thelle Mogoerane Hospital to highlight the ongoing crisis at the facility and demanded urgent intervention by the provincial health department. Yet, to date, the crisis continues to threaten people’s health, rights and lives. During an unannounced ...
Coalition welcomes landmark Competition Commission probe into prices of cancer medicines
JOHANNESBURG, 13 JUNE 2017: The Fix the Patent Laws coalition welcomes the Competition Commission’s announcement earlier today that they will investigate the pricing of several cancer medicines in South Africa. This is a major victory in our struggle to ensure that all people in South Africa can ...
HIV & TB in 2017: Time for honesty & transparency
A message to delegates at SA AIDS 2017 13 June 2017 We are a group of organisations and individuals concerned with the state of South Africa’s response to HIV and Tuberculosis (TB). We are worried that in a time when the HIV and TB response in South Africa should accelerate it may instead begin t...
Stop the killings – we must end violence against women
JOHANNESBURG, 17th MAY 2017: The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) is outraged and distressed by the violent killings of Karabo Mokoena, Nonki Smous, Tambai Lerato Moloi, Popi Qwabe, Bongeka Phungula, Mananki Annah Boys, Jeannette Cindi, Sthembile Mdluli, Mavis Mabala, Priska Schalk, Nicola Pienaar, Akhona Njokana, Thapelo Ramorotong, Meisie Molefe, Stasha Arendse, Iyapha Yamile, and many other women and young girls who have been killed in recent weeks.
KZN healthcare system in crisis
DURBAN, 15th MAY 2017: KwaZulu-Natal’s healthcare services are in a state of emergency with shocking details shared by health workers in the province. Reports reflect a collapsing health system which is in many cases no longer delivering adequate healthcare to the most vulnerable. Hospitals a...