Refugee emergency
We are grateful to the many people who helped with the humanitarian relief effort from 23 May to 2 June. Regrettably, the state is still failing to provide sufficient relief. We have therefore stepped up our relief efforts again. TAC continues to need donations for humanitarian relief and our advocacy efforts against xenophobia. Please donate to TAC or one of these organisations.
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About the Treatment Action Campaign
The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) was founded on 10 December 1998 in Cape Town, South Africa. We campaign for treatment for people with HIV and to reduce new HIV infections. Our efforts have resulted in many life-saving interventions, including the implementation of country-wide mother-to-child transmission prevention and antiretroviral treatment programmes.
The TAC also runs a treatment literacy campaign: this is a training programme on the science of HIV treatment and prevention.
Objectives
The TAC's objectives are described in the organisation's Constitution and are as follows:
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Campaign for equitable access to affordable treatment for all people with HIV/AIDS.
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Campaign for and support the prevention and elimination of all new HIV infections.
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Promote and sponsor legislation to ensure equal access to social services for and equal treatment of all people with HIV/AIDS.
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Challenge by means of litigation, lobbying, advocacy and all forms of legitimate social mobilisation, any barrier or obstacle, including unfair discrimination, that limits access to treatment for HIV/AIDS in the private and public sector.
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Educate, promote and develop an understanding and commitment within all communities of developments in HIV/AIDS treatment.
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Campaign for access to affordable and quality health care for all people in South Africa.
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Train and develop a representative and effective leadership of people living with HIV/AIDS on the basis of equality and non-discrimination irrespective of race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion, sex, socio-economic status, nationality, marital status or any other ground.
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Campaign for an effective regional and global network comprising of organisations with similar aims and objectives.
Structure
TAC's highest decision making structure is its National Congress. The Congress meets approximately every two years. Between congresses, TAC's National Council (which is also its board) is responsible for the governance of the organisation. The secretariat is a subset of the National Council consisting of the office-bearers (the chairperson, deputy chairperson, general secretary, deputy-general secretary and treasurer) and is responsible for the day-to-day political and strategic direction of TAC. TAC has a national office, six provincial offices, several district offices (planned to grow to 12 by end of 2009) and about 250 volunteer-driven branches across six of South Africa's nine provinces. We intend, if we can raise the funds and capacity, to expand to all nine provinces. As of April 2008, our database lists over 16,000 members.
Membership was free up until TAC's Fourth Congress in March 2008. In that Congress it was decided to charge a nominal R1 fee to renew membership until the next Congress. The membership renewal process will begin in 2008.