South African health minister says good nutrition more effective than HIV drugs

South African health minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, already the target of protests by AIDS activists for delaying a nationwide antiretroviral treatment program, said this week that good nutrition is better at fighting HIV infection that anti-HIV medications. Tshabalala-Msimang also criticized the World Health Organization's efforts to get 3 million HIV-positive people in developing countries on antiretroviral therapy by the end of 2005, saying the South African government wouldn't be "pressured" by WHO into offering the drugs to its citizens. WHO officials say health officials in South Africa, India, and Nigeria must improve their efforts to provide anti-HIV drugs if the organization is to meet its treatment goal by the end of the year. About 90% of the HIV-positive people in South Africa currently do not have access to anti-HIV medicines. At a press conference touting South African health ministry programs, Tshabalala-Msimang said WHO was making South Africa a "scapegoat" to be blamed if the agency doesn't reach its treatment goal. She also insisted that good nutrition is as important in treatment HIV disease as antiretroviral drugs. "Raw garlic and a skin of the lemon--not only do they give you a beautiful face and skin, but they also protect you from disease," she said. AIDS experts say that while good nutrition can help HIV-positive people boost their strength and overall health, only anti-HIV drugs can effectively suppress the virus in the body.