Forwarded message. Idiots like Rath make it MUCH more difficult to get
the mainstream to not merely tolerate but actively SUPPORT and DEMAND
the use of a multi as part of HIV care and treatment.

Rath calling it a "cure" or a replacement for ARV is killing people. I
George M. Carter

**
Dear All

The story below was published as the lead story in the Cape Times
today 13 October 2005.

The tragic death of Marietta Nziba conned by the Rath Foundation into
their unlawful experiment with African human subjects must be
responded to by:

· The President's Minister of Health, Manto Tshablala-Msimang who
supports quacks and charlatans;

· The Medicines Control Council which has failed in its
constitutional, statutory and legal mandate to protect people from
unethical trials and false claims;

· The MEC for Health in the Western Cape, Pierre Uys who cares more
for the opinion of his new paymasters than for the lives of people
whom he serves under a constitutional mandate; and,

· President Thabo Mbeki who must issue an instruction to his health
minister to stop playing games with our lives and to denounce
charlatan and quacks like Matthias Rath who claims that he has the
support of the Health Minister and the President.

TAC is preparing court papers to stop Rath and to ensure that the
government fulfils its legal obligations.

Please distribute this story widely it is copied for fair use to show
the rresults of unethical trials and government inaction.

Thanks
Zackie Achmat

**
Rath 'examples' admit to using ARVs by Anso Thom and Siviwe Minyi
13.10.2005

Two HIV-positive women presented to the media in June by the Dr Rath
Health Foundation as examples of how its vitamins can reverse Aids
have admitted that they were on antiretroviral (ARVs) drugs all along.

A third woman, a high profile Rath Foundation agent who has been
promoting the vitamins in Gugulethu, died a few months after rejecting
ARVs.

Meanwhile, the foundation is in the process of expanding its programme
to the Eastern Cape, and has been distributing pamphlets in East
London hospitals describing ARVs as "toxic".

Controversial German vitamin seller Dr Matthias Rath has been leading
an aggressive campaign against government's antiretroviral treatment
programme in Khayelitsha and Gugulethu with the assistance of local
South African National Civics Organisation (Sanco) leaders.

Since the beginning of the year, Rath agents have been urging
HIV-positive residents to use high doses of the foundation's
unregistered vitamins instead of "toxic" antiretrovirals.

Health-e is aware of at least 12 deaths of people who were told the
vitamins would be adequate to fight any life-threatening infections.

Khayelitsha resident Busisiwe (surname withheld at her request)
attended the Rath press conference at the Holiday Inn in Strand
Street, Cape Town on June 15.

She said participants were lured to the meeting with promises of
drugs for HIV, groceries, money and homes.

Speaking from her one-roomed house which doubles up as a spaza shop,
the slight 23-year-old said she was approached in May by a Rath agent
who said it would be a "good idea" to use the vitamins.

"Later, I was collected from my house and taken to the Rath offices
in town. We then walked to the Holiday Inn where we addressed the
meeting," explains Busisiwe.

At the press conference Rath, flanked by a group of about 15
Gugulethu and Khayelitsha residents including Busisiwe, announced that
"for the first time in history dozens of patients have gathered in
Cape Town to document with their own lives, that the course of Aids
can be reversed naturally".

But, said Busisiwe "I felt no different while taking the vitamins, so
I've stopped taking it."

Ntombi from Gugulethu was also part of the group presented to the
media.
"At an earlier support group meeting they told us if we took the
vitamins they would provide us with anything we needed money, and for
those who do not have houses, shhacks would be built," said Ntombi.

She added that Rath had told the group that "ARVs will kill us
because ARVs are not good. He then told us we need to start taking his
vitamins".

"I went to the [Rath] support group meeting twice, but never returned
when I realised nothing was going to come from the promises," she
said.

Ntombi claimed that another woman testifying at the press conference
was also on ARVs. "She told everyone she does not use ARVs, but she
attends the same ARV clinic as I do."

A group photograph taken at the press conference shows Marietta
Ndziba, leader of the Rath support group in Gugulethu, flashing a
broad smile. She was known for speaking passionately at community
meetings and funerals about the healing powers of the Rath vitamins
and her rejection of ARVs.

However, Ndziba died last Saturday of an undisclosed illness.
According to neighbours, a close friend of Ndziba and also an
outspoken Rath supporter, had died four days earlier.

"This is three young people in our street who have died within the
space of a week," said a nurse who lives in the neighbourhood.

"I see sick people in Khayelitsha getting better and when I go home
to Gugulethu people are dying like flies," said the nurse, who works
at the Ubuntu Clinic in Khayelitsha and asked not to be identified.

The nurse added that she had been approached for help by a very ill
young woman in the neighbourhood. "Her CD4 count was 21 and I told her
to go to the Aids treatment clinic nearby, but Marietta came to hear
of her and told her that they could help her," she recalls.

The woman was buried a few weeks later while on the Rath vitamins.

"The Rath people have launched an aggressive door-to-door campaign,
peddling their vitamins to the sick and vulnerable. I feel very bitter
about what is happening. These deaths are all unnecessary," said the
nurse.

Meanwhile, the University of Limpopo (Medunsa campus) has confirmed
that it refused the Rath Foundation ethical approval to conduct
clinical trials.

Head of Medunsa's Ethics Committee Professor Wim du Plooy said that
the "Rath protocol has not been approved".

The applications were submitted by Professor Sam Mhlongo, head of
Family Medicine at Medunsa, an outspoken AIDS denialist with close
ties to Rath and President Thabo Mbeki.

Professor Herman Joubert, interim Dean of Medicine at Medunsa,
confirmed that a research protocol entitled "Clinical Pilot Study in
Immunocompromised Patients Including HIV Positive Individuals with Dr
Rath Cellular Programme" had been submitted to the Ethics Committee.

However, the committee raised over 34 concerns with the protocol,
including that no proof of Medicines Control Council (MCC) approval
for the "cellular programme" had been provided.

MCC registrar Dr Humphrey Zokufa refused to give an update on its
investigation into the Rath Foundation, which started in April. Zokufa
told Health-e a final report would only be ready in six weeks' time.

Meanwhile, ANC National Health secretary Dr Saadiq Kariem has added
his voice to a growing tide of condemnation of the foundation from
health professionals, academics and universities.

Speaking in his personal capacity, Kariem said that "this does make me
very despondent that to think in this late stage in the battle against
HIV we have opinions expressed by the Rath Foundation that could, not
only be harmful to people, but by confusing people into not accessing
antiretroviral medicine, quite frankly kill them".

He added that he was disappointed that Sanco was assisting the
foundation.

"Life is not cheap. I would advise the Rath Foundation to stop
spreading confusing messages among people. Multivitamins are only one
aspect of a holistic comprehensive campaign against HIV, as is healthy
living and good nutritional support. Without ARVs people will surely
die," warned Kariem.

The Rath Foundation failed to respond to queries relating to its
programme. Health-e Newss Service.