About Us - Friends of the Treatment Action Campaign.
Friends of the Treatment Action Campaign (FoTAC), is a UK-based charity working for access to affordable treatment for people living with HIV and to reduce new HIV infections. For more than ten years, FoTAC has supported the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) - South Africa's largest grass roots organisation campaigning for greater access to HIV services for all. During the difficult years when President Mbeki's denial of the link between HIV and AIDS cost more than 300,000 lives, FoTAC stood with TAC in its fight for life-saving interventions in South Africa, including the implementation of country-wide programmes to prevent mother-to-child transmission and provide anti-retroviral treatment. Although subsequent South African governments have recognized the urgent need to address the HIV and TB epidemics facing the country, this remains a huge task.
More than 5.6 million people in South Africa live with HIV, with the absolute number growing by 100,000 per year. Nationally, nearly 30 per cent of pregnant women live with HIV. South Africa has the highest TB infection rate per population, and at 73 per cent, the highest TB and HIV co-infection rate, in the world. 35 percent of child mortality and 43 percent of maternal mortality are attributable to HIV and AIDS. Government introduction of internationally recognized best practice is stymied through chronic shortages of specialist staff, and poor management.
TAC's engagement with the South African government therefore remains as vital as ever. TAC works constructively with government at all levels to ensure that exciting developments in treatment and prevention are introduced, and that government is held to account for delivery, whilst ensuring that TAC members understand about HIV, and their rights to decent healthcare.
FoTAC continues to provide support and funding to TAC in this new era. Thanks to an investment grant from Comic Relief it has opened a small office to give cost-effective support to TAC, whilst seeking additional funding, and working with others to advocate alongside TAC on key international issues.
