South African Links AIDS to Broader Issue of Poverty: In Washington, Mbeki Sidesteps UN Talk

Rather than attend the UN conference on AIDS in New York yesterday, South African President Thabo Mbeki visited President Bush in the White House yesterday, where he deflected accusations that his government has ignored its overwhelming AIDS epidemic. Mbeki said at a brief photo opportunity from the Oval Office, "People must look at what we're doing in South Africa, not their perception of what they think we're doing." Referring to critics of his prevention and treatment policies, Mbeki said: "I don't think, on the basis of facts, that an accusation like that can be sustained. It cannot."

Bush administration officials did not comment about why Mbeki was provided with an easy alternative to appearing at the AIDS conference, which concludes today. Both Mbeki and Bush endorsed the creation of a global AIDS fund during their meeting, but neither leader offered specifics about how they might increase its size. Mbeki did repeat his position that AIDS is one of a number of related problems and diseases that must be handled with a comprehensive policy. "In many instances, these are diseases which are not only caused by poverty, some of them, but also cause poverty," he said.

Mbeki's approval ratings in South Africa have dropped dramatically over time, and his views on AIDS have only reinforced his reputation as remote and aloof. Last year, his government could not explain how $6.2 million of the country's $17 million AIDS budget went unspent. Mbeki's personal quest to determine the true cause of AIDS led him to consult medical sources who doubt the consensus theory that HIV infection leads to AIDS. South African clerics, labor unions, the Communist Party and even Mbeki's mentor Nelson Mandela have all argued that the scientific consensus on AIDS should be followed.

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