357: time to 'get it right' on HIV/AIDS

Anyone watching the South African political situation currently will know that former President Mbeki's deeply unpopular health minister, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, was replaced in that role by veteran anti-apartheid campaigner Barbara Hogan last week. Hogan's appointment was met with acclaim by AIDS activists - and it seems their faith was well-placed. As an article (linked above) from South African news site The Citizen reports, Hogan today stated her firm commitment to expanding AIDS treatment and to urgently addressing gaps in healthcare provision across the country. She is, she said, "passionate about getting things right". And there's a lot to put right, given that her predecessor denied the seriousness of the AIDS epidemic and suggested that sufferers eat beetroot, lemon and garlic rather than take ARVs... Hogan has an incredibly difficult job to do, but I suspect that if anyone can get it right, she can.