South African
government bars AIDS group from U.N. meeting

The South African government has barred an AIDS activist group from attending an upcoming United Nations meeting on AIDS, TheWashington Times reports. South Africa's health ministry has removed the Treatment Action Campaign, which advocates for the distribution of anti-HIV drugs to the nation's HIV-positive residents, from a list of groups invited to the U.N. General Assembly Special Session on AIDS, set for May 31-June 2 in New York City. TAC officials say they were barred from the event because their push for antiretroviral treatment conflicts with the health ministry's position that anti-HIV drugs are toxic. Health minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang has said that the best treatment for HIV is a diet rich in garlic and lemons. South African president Thabo Mbeki also has publicly questioned the effectiveness of antiretroviral drugs. South Africa is home to more than 5 million HIV-positive people, more than any other country in the world. (The Advocate)