TAC KZN picket outside HIVEX office
'This is a sad day for South Africa.' This is how Clive Fox Harvey, started his speech after receiving the memorundum.
More than 400 TAC members and partners (CEGAA, DrumAide) picketed outside HIVEX offices in Commercial City today. They demanded HIVEX to stop misleading the community and PLWHIV by making false claims about curing the HIV.
The weather was 28 degrees but Comrades stood tirelesslly outside HIVEX offices singing and waiting patiently for Clive to come out. Dr Manzini from UKZN gave us a talk about how the HIvirus works in the body and also about the dangers of defaulting,
Clive came out about thirty minutes late than he was suppose to. He claimed that TAC was misinformed abouit HIVEX and claimed that he had invited TAC to come and engage them about HIVEX, but TAC had repeatedly ignored those request.
We agreed to meet with him next year in a round table discussion about HIVEX.
December 16th, 2011 - 11:48
The saddening aspect of this picket is that those responsible for this action were not aware of what they were campaigning against. One of the organisers, a Mr Gumede, even stated that he did not know what HIVEX was doing. This feels more like mischief making to support the ends of an unknown lobby.
One placard read: “HIVEX – Aids denialists”. Surely if HIVEX fell into this category, we would not be treating this virus? Nonsensical!
The TAC disputes the efficacy of the HIVEX treatment. Copies of the Executive Summary of the University of KwaZulu Natal 2003 clinical trial report have been sent to the TAC but have never been commented on. Why? That report clearly states that the treatment has a significant impact on the level of apoptosis in a treated patient as well as significantly increasing the number of viable lymphocytes in these patients.
It should be realised that apoptosis is a far more superior measurement of overall health than merely looking at a CD4 count or viral load. A CD4 count gives no indication of how many lymphocytes might be viable and therefore may not be a completely accurate measurement.
It is now time that the real truth be exposed and that people be given informed choice regarding their own health issues.