New Hiv Row As South African Who Shunned Drugs Dies

South Africa was embroiled in a fresh HIV/Aids row yesterday after the disease killed a politician's daughter who shunned anti-retroviral drugs in favour of a diet of garlic, olive oil and lemons.

Nozipho Bhengu, 32, died of an Aids-related illness last week after following the controversial advice of senior government figures who say the special diet can be more effective than drugs.

Treatment activists said she fell victim to the ruling African National Congress's ambivalence about anti-retroviral drugs, which can extend lives by decades.

"Instead of objective decision-making about medical facts, political pressure coming from within the heart of the ANC is creating confusion around medicine and creating direct pressure on many individuals not to take the drugs," said Mark Heywood, of the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC).

With the tacit support of President Thabo Mbeki, the health minister, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, has questioned the drugs' effectiveness and safety. She has instead championed nutrition as a way to combat the disease.

Ms Bhengu became one of the country's best-known HIV sufferers when her mother Ruth, then an ANC MP, revealed her status to help fight the stigma of the virus, which infects more than 5 million South Africans. Instead of taking drugs Ms Bhengu adopted a diet of garlic, olive oil, lemon and herbs recommended by a nutritionist introduced to her by the health minister. Last June she claimed it was a success. "It works, I'm the scientific proof."

But last Friday she became one of the 600 South Africans who are estimated to die daily from Aids-related illness. Ms Bhengu's family defended her right to shun anti-retrovirals and accused the TAC of exploiting her death as part of its running battle with the government.

The battle for treatment for HIV/Aids patients will be highlighted today when a group of charities warn that 4 million children are likely to die before their fifth birthday for want of an antibiotic to protect them against infections that kill those with HIV. Children who are HIV positive are the invisible victims of Aids, say the charities in a report. They include Unicef, Oxfam, Save the Children and others under the umbrella of the Global Movement for Children (www.gmfc.org).