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Special thanks to Philip for his technical help
Wednesday, 3 December 2008, at 10:32
This Times cartoon is excellent, Jeremy! Proving that a cartoonist is not just a print comedian. As I said to you recently, it’s a huge responsibility being an opinioneer. You have much in common with the court jester of medieval times who had the platform to say things that other people didn’t dare say. Some of the braver ones were apparently quite controversial and satirical – not that I remember, of course – I was very young at the time ;o)
Wednesday, 3 December 2008, at 10:41
was heywood not reffering to the war with manto perhaps?
Wednesday, 3 December 2008, at 10:45
i’m right.
“The war is over.? With these four words, Aids activist Mark Heywood finally ended a decade of conflict with government over the provision of anti-retroviral drugs to save the lives of the infected.
The change of heart co-incides with the departure of Thabo Mbeki from the Union Buildings and the removal of Manto Tshabalala-Msimang from the Health Ministry.
The appointment of Barbara Hogan in her place has been a breath of fresh air.
She wasted no time in stating unequivocally that government believed HIV caused Aids and that it believed in the roll-out of a full treatment regime to improve the lives of those infected.
http://blogs.thetimes.co....ndex.php?tag=mark-heywood
my point is this, the comic conjures a different response to the words than what is meant. with barbara hogan now in the driving seat, a far different perspective is now seen from government towards hiv/aids. for me any way, this comic trips badly…
Wednesday, 3 December 2008, at 10:46
Yes.
Wednesday, 3 December 2008, at 10:50
The point is that many have already died, thanks to the government’s abysmal approach.
The “war” should have been over many years ago.
Wednesday, 3 December 2008, at 11:03
Brilliant cartoon with an excellent point.
Somtimes feel like we being governed by the four horsemen of the apocalypse with our daily life in this country full of Strife, War, Famine and Death.
In my view our goverment has commited genocide through ignorance and blatent stupidity.
Wednesday, 3 December 2008, at 14:34
The cartoon is unfortunately misguided. The war to change the government’s HIV policies (which is the war that Mark Heywood is referring to) is over precisely because it has been WON by the HIV activists. That war has been won so convincingly that we have gone from a government that denied the existence of HIV as a pathogen to a government that has rolled out the biggest ARV program in the world (relative to population size) in a matter of 6 years.
Clearly, the war against HIV itself still continues, but that too is slowly being won: infection rates are declining, mortality rates are declining. As you rightly point out, Jeremy, many have already died because of the government’s abysmal approach. But that was exactly the reason that the “war” on government, led by the TRC (which Mark Heywood has been an instrumental part of) had to be waged. Sorry, but the cynicism of this cartoon is out-of-date, misinformed and misplaced: the Thabanto era is already long over. See Zapiro cartoons from the years 1998-2007 (especially with their piles of bones that you reference with your graves in this cartoon) for the benchmark for witty, soulful and blood-drawingly conscientised social activist cartooning on the HIV issue.
Wednesday, 3 December 2008, at 18:10
Timo if you’re OK with the fact that 330000 to 365000 people died UNNECESARILY because of the lack of policies of Manto and Thabo (as alleged by UN workers) then you can self-justify your verbose Bullshit.
It is critically important for cartoonists and commentators to keep on and on and on about these issues.
The fact that Zapiro said so in ‘98 does not change that Jeremy (and Zapiro too) need to remind our SA political buffoons daily and as visually as necessary to show them the picture of their responsibility to their electorate – all 47 million of them.
Jeremy keep it up – don’t ever let your sword go blunt.
Wednesday, 3 December 2008, at 18:31
Can Ellie please patent this bubble so I can stop getting these mails for my pianist to get his baby grand up to concert size
Thursday, 4 December 2008, at 08:04
Grey. I am a doctor working in the poor communities of Cape Town, mostly Khayelitsha and Manenberg. I have worked during the time when we had no ARVs and people were dying around me like flies, and I am working now in those same places, seeing people get better, able to offer them hope and life. I marched and petitioned for govt to change its murderous denialism. Trust me, from the perspective of being on the ground, the fact that the government has successfully changed its HIV policies is cause for celebration, even though we will continue to challenge them every time they fuck up on this issue.
Thursday, 4 December 2008, at 08:13
Grey, here’s a hint: unplug it! Or at least put a condom over the network point
Thursday, 4 December 2008, at 08:18
Mind you, you will need a bubble if you have wireless access ^o)
Thursday, 4 December 2008, at 09:39
I think we can thank a few other countries, as well, for the financial assistance we received to assist in the Aids pandemic. Certainly NOT the murderous Manto – and we can thank the Aids activists, the Cape Town and surrounding area’s doctor’s, local government, city medical management and private funding – certainly not Zuma and his zoo.
I think it is wonderful that there are people like you, Timo – able to sacrifice your young life for the good of others – I salute you. Remember though that one can often not see the forest for the trees. Have a good day.
Thursday, 4 December 2008, at 09:57
Timo you have my admiration too. All strength to you – keep up the fight.
Friday, 5 December 2008, at 06:03
Thanks, Grey.
Jacoba, I appreciate the sentiment. (but, on the topic of forests and trees, are you sure you want to create the impression that you think people like Kgalema Motlanthe, Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge and Barbara Hogan are comparable to zoo animals? Believe me, I’m no Zuma backer, but I think our analyses need to be fully thought through, guys)
Friday, 5 December 2008, at 06:29
You’re dead right Timo!
No, I don’t – I only have a problem with people like Zuma and his backers – especially when it comes to Aids, I don’t want him to say a single word – nor, for that matter, that woman, Manto whatshername.
Friday, 5 December 2008, at 07:00
[...] Today, The Times published a letter from Timothy Freeth of Woodstock (Cape Town), who found himself taking considerable exception to my recent AIDS cartoon. [...]
Sunday, 7 December 2008, at 12:01
Really don’t mean to be insensitive but check this out. http://www.virusmyth.com/ (you may need to refresh page twice if it doesn’t load).
Monday, 8 December 2008, at 08:55
Brendan – if it is a myth then why are there so many graves? And why do ARV’s reduce the deathrate amongst HIV+ patients? You are insensitive to event hint of denial any further.
Monday, 8 December 2008, at 09:03
http://jeremynell.com/200...s-stance-on-hiv-and-aids/
Monday, 8 December 2008, at 09:28
Oops – interesting video. Maybe Thabo watched it and was instantly impressed!
Bleh
Monday, 8 December 2008, at 10:12
brendan, no more denials, please. my domestic is hiv +, please dont tell me it doesn’t exist.
Monday, 8 December 2008, at 10:39
Jeremy I watched the video in October and was impressed enough at the time to get more info about Gary Null. He has a lot of theory which is very positive and which I would endorse particularly that eating and drinking right will probably immunise against most things. I still could not see though where he accounts for millions of peole dying and the life expectancies diminshing in countries with high HIV+ rates without linking it to an ultimate death whether we call it Aids or lung problems or cancer or whatever. Its still denial and somewhere somehow the only answer is to find a drug that eliminates HIV+ virus the way that was done with smallpox.
Maybe good diet would help but where do the Khayalitsha and Thembalethu HIV+ folk get all these fresh ingredients – even clean water? ARV’s are the immediate answer.
Monday, 8 December 2008, at 11:10
Are you sure about that? Much like chemotherapy, ARVs are highly toxic, and require a very strong immune system. (Hence chemotherapy being recommended in short bursts.)
I’m just saying. Use it. Don’t use it…
Monday, 8 December 2008, at 11:17
Just one thing guys, chemo makes you feel like death warmed up, all you want to do is puke continuously ….
ARV’s certainly make people feel better for years …….
Where’s the comparison?
Monday, 8 December 2008, at 11:35
Timo is probably the right guy to answer that. As a medical person involved in the war he must have some comment on the efficiacy of ARV’s. Otherwise why do the world spend billions of $ – it can’t always be a capitalist conspiracy especially in todays economic climate!
Monday, 8 December 2008, at 13:18
jacoba, arv’s can and do make people using them wishing they were dead. a ccktail of very high potency drugs has to be taken, and the side effects are nasty, especialy when the regieme is changed. the time varies from person to person for the regieme change, and when it happens the effects are similiar to chemo, disorientation, nausea, cramps, weakness and diarreaha. add into that drugs for tb and it starts getting really nasty
Monday, 8 December 2008, at 13:19
*cocktail
Monday, 8 December 2008, at 13:26
I’ve posted a final response to the comments on my letter on the other forum. Thanks for the invitation to comment here.
On the side effects of ARVs: (“Side effects” is a more accurate phrase than the “toxicity” popularised by Manto) Less than 3% will experience severe side effects (mostly lactic acidosis, pancreatitis, hepatitis). A larger number (and the data is quite variable as to exact numbers) will feel like crap for a period of time or have a minor side effect. But the majority will have no side effects at all. I’ve been on ARVs twice myself after needle-stick injuries from HIV-positive patients and never even felt nauseous.
ARV medicine is both a science and an art. Each drug, and usually we use combinations of three different ARVs at a time, have their own potential side effects as with all drugs, even panado. Every side effect can be treated, but only if the patient trusts the doctor enough to mention it early – that’s where the art comes in.
The most serious side-effect, in terms of the risk of death from it, is lactic acidosis. The main culprit here is one of our firstline drugs called D4T, but the incidence is very low: about 0,12 % per year. (It’s a bit lower in the States and other places, but that’s because, interestingly enough, our HIV patients are more likely to be overweight than elsewhere in the world). Our record with treating lactic acidosis is the best in the world, believe it or not. 60% of ARV lactic acidosis patients in parts of the US die from it. The biggest study on lactic acidosis so far was done here in South Africa, and our mortality rate was 21% (that’s 21% of 0,12% per year). Serious. Scary. But worth the risk.
I’m afraid we’re still in the process of collecting data on how effective our national program has been so far, so I don’t have hard evidence for you yet. But we’re surrounded by heartwarming anecdotal evidence. People recovering from their deathbeds to the point that they can go back to work. Destigmatisation of the disease has happened dramatically now that people see other people getting better: patients are amazingly open about their HIV status, even in general sections of the hospitals that I work. 6 years ago people took their status to the grave with them, rather than tell anybody. People have a sense that they are living with disease, (like one lives with other potentally lethal but treatable diseases like diabetes, whose treatment also has side effects) rather than dying from a disease.
I might seem like I’m painting a completely rosy picture. The reality is obviously not like that. It hurts when a patient dies. Many ARV sites are understaffed. Burnout occurs. But many health workers will tell you that working in ARV clinics is the most rewarding field of medicine they have ever worked in.
Monday, 8 December 2008, at 13:43
health department budget speech has some intersting stats…
Here.
Monday, 8 December 2008, at 14:05
You know what Timo, I wish you had been my oncologist 10 years ago (pity you arn’t one) – mine overradiated the merry hell out of me, damaged me permanently and the skipped out of the medical profession when he realised that there were side-effects, after all.
I think your passion and tenacity is admirable, your hard work something we all respect and the fact that you take time out to explain all this to us, really something.
Thanks Jeremy for this cartoon – it’s time we all start understanding one another – maybe we’ll all start caring soon.
Tuesday, 9 December 2008, at 10:10
Sorry for long delays between my posts. I duck back here between shifts by which time the debate’s lost its momentum…
Amandzing, you’re right about TB. TB is a bastard. And in some ways we’re losing the war on TB at the moment (although this is more true for the Cape than Gauteng). The balance between TB treatment and ARVs is really tricky. If people get diagnosed with TB and HIV at the same time, which happens quite often, we usually delay starting ARVs until after the first two months of TB treatment at which point the TB treatment is much less hectic. But sometimes you can’t wait that long, or patients are already on ARVs, and then you have to get the patient to buy into whiteknuckling it down a bumpy road.
Ultimately the way to beat TB is to beat HIV – strong immune systems tend not to get TB. There’s a very impressive argument being developed for us to start rolling out ARVs as soon as patients get to a CD4 count of 500 (currently we wait until the count drops below 200; although we start ARVs regardless of CD4 count in certain conditions like Karposi’s and a kidney problem called HIVAN). Once your CD4 count is above 500, your chances of getting TB drop dramatically. But rolling that out at the moment would cost about twice the Arms Deal…
So for now we’re really battling with TB: the drugs aren’t that great, resistance levels are high. It’s a bit of a mess frankly.
On the Gauteng stats for new HIV infections on your link: the 400 new infections a day in 2005 is predicted by some to drop to less than 200 in 2009, even though the total population will have increased. I have no idea on that one myself, but time will tell. It will be a tricky stat because new infections as a concept is not the same as new diagnoses.
Sorry you had such a terrible time, Jacoba. There are charlatans in every profession.
PS The Marie Antoinette cartoon is absolutely valid. Nice one, Jeremy.
I’ll try make these posts shorter in future, okes.
Tuesday, 9 December 2008, at 11:26
please dont, because they explain a lot. white knuckle is a good way of putting it, we tought we were going to lose her for a while
but she’s much better now, putting on a lot of weight (A LOT) but we don’t mind, compared to her been at deaths door at the beginning of the year.
Tuesday, 9 December 2008, at 11:57
Whatever it takes to educate us but please understand that we laugh and joke a bit – some irreverant plenty irrelevant but probably all share the same end goal as you.
Oh and they will call you names from time to time but its part of what goes for debate – ANCYL style
Thursday, 11 December 2008, at 10:36
ARV to save lives? how about enriching the capitalists and turning our people into junkies..
Sunday, 14 December 2008, at 09:05
Grey and Zing – only spotted your comments now. Lost track of this thread at some point. Thanks, guys. Actually smaaking this site since I first posted. There’s a core of intelligent people here grappling issues and piss-taking in equal measure, which is the way it should be.
Tuesday, 22 December 2009, at 18:06
Sooo… Is this wher you got the AHA! from?
Boy, you went wayyyy back for that one – just over 12 months… (?)