...
A synthesis report of the deliberations by the panel of experts invited by the President of the Republic of South Africa, theHonourableMrThaboMbeki
March 2001
...
Acknowledgements
The letter from President Thabo Mbeki inviting eminent persons to participate in the Presidential Advisory Panel on AIDS referred to the World Health Organisation report on the 'Global situation of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, end 1999' to describe the gravity of the situation that South Africa and the rest of the world were confronted with. The panel was constituted as part of the government's decision to respond to the AIDS catastrophe in an urgent and comprehensive manner, using all means at its disposal.
...
Individual names of the many people involved in the working of the panel have not been included because the list would be just too long. The government and the people of South Africa are deeply indebted to you all.
Abbreviations
ADD AIDS-defining disease
...
WHO World Health Organisation
CHAPTER 1 – SETTING THE SCENE
1.
...
1 Background
...
The South African government is currently confronted with the challenge of responding to the growing AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) epidemic. The government’s response has been characterised in the main by a prevention strategy, supported by a multi-sectoral programme involving partnerships between government departments, civil society, NGOs (non-government organisations) as well as other sectors like the women’s sector, faith-based organisations, the youth, traditional healers and traditional leaders.
...
In order to gain a full knowledge of AIDS, a decision was taken to invite an international panel of experts to South Africa and provide a platform for them to deliberate on the issues pertaining to the subject. The report of such deliberations will be used to inform and advise the government as to the most appropriate course of action to follow in dealing with AIDS. This decision was endorsed by the Cabinet of the South African government in April 2000. A world-wide search took place to identify eminent specialists in the fields of AIDS and HIV, ranging in scope from basic scientists, physicians, historians, economists, public health professionals as well as policy makers. It was also decided that persons living with AIDS, as well as lay persons would be invited to serve on the panel.
1.
...
2 Composition of the Presidential AIDS Advisory Panel
...
Both local and international scientists were invited to form part of the Presidential AIDS Advisory Panel. They were:
Invited by the President and were present at both meetings
Professor Salim S Abdool-Karim Dr Stefano M Bertozzi
...
Dr Joseph Sonnabend Dr Zena Stein
Dr Gordon Stewart
Invited by the President and present only at the first meeting
Dr W Chalamira-Nkhoma Dr Andrew Herxheimer Proffesor Luc Montagnier Dr Walter Prozesky
Dr Mark D Smith Dr Stefano Vella Dr Jose M Zuniga
Invited by the President and present only at the second meeting
Dr Stephen Chandiwana Professor Roy Mugwera Dr Valender Turner
Professor Eleni Papadopoulos-Eleopoulos Prof Heinz Spranger
Invited by the President but could not attend
Professor Francoise Barre-Sinoussi Dr Robert Gallo
...
Dr Praphan Phanuphak Professor Robert Root-Bernstein
Present at the second meeting only - invited by the Secretariat
Professor Jerry Coovadia Professor Charles Geshekter Dr Glenda Gray
...
The usage of the term 'cofactor' was, however, strongly opposed by some members of the panel, particularly the Perth Group, on the grounds that this term implies the existence of a primary factor and that this primary factor is HIV. They argue that HIV cannot be the primary factor since its existence has not been proven. Proof of the existence of the virus can only be obtained by isolation of the virus,
 |
Minor signs: (1) oropharyngeal candidiasis; (2) pruritic skin rash; (3) herpes zoster; (4) generalised lymphadenopathy; (5) cough for at least one month (without TB); (6) chronic ulcerated herpes simplex;
...
· The South African strain – the phylogenetic tree analysis. While in India, the viruses that have been isolated and sequenced are ‘related to one another’, the South African isolate shows much more diversity. The close relationship between the Indian strains suggests a single introduction and subsequent spread (clonal epidemic) whereas the high genetic diversity in South Africa is suggestive of multiple introductions. The latter would confirm the importance of migration in fuelling the epidemic.
 |
6 ccr5 gene is known to be protective against HIV infection in the sense that it reduces risk of transmission and infection. If infection has taken place, it reduces the risk of progression of AIDS.
...
· ”These drugs can be toxic and can be directly detrimental to a natural immune response to HIV…This effective antiviral immune response is characteristic of long-term survivors who…have not been on any therapy. …[T]he current antiviral therapies…do not bring about the results achieved by a natural host anti-HIV response. This immune response, observed in long-term survivors, maintains control of HIV replication without the need for antiviral therapy.”
|
9 Jay Levy. 1996. JAMA. 276:161-162
...