TAC and the HIV Crisis

The Government says it’s committed to providing anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment in South Africa. But progress is slow, and there are often political obstructions. By January 2005, only 32,300 people of the 750,000 with advanced HIV infection were actually receiving ARV treatment.
(Source: South African Health Ministry / TAC)

The formation of TAC

To help fight the epidemic, a group of South African activists formed the Treatment Action Campaign , or TAC, on 10th December 1998. TAC campaigns for greater access to HIV treatment for all South Africans. And the group also works extensively on prevention campaigns, helping to educate people about the AIDS crisis; and on how they can take action to help themselves and others. TAC has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. And its work - especially in the townships - is lauded globally.

The group has battled an often complacent Government, repeatedly taking the Health Ministry to court to ensure better treatment for people in South Africa. TAC has never lost a court case. In townships and cities throughout South Africa, TAC has a network of thousands of HIV activists, many of them directly affected by HIV, fighting to make sure that all people in South Africa have a right to treatments which could prolong or save their lives - treatments which people in the West may take for granted.

Find out more about TAC

TAC’s main website can be found at www.tac.org.za, where you’ll also find TAC’s regular newsletters. You can also find out about TAC’s excellent Treatment Literacy Project and you can visit TAC’s own Picture Gallery to see the group in action.

You can contact TAC directly here.