THf SOUTHF NMRICAN JOU NAL OF HI MtolCINf ------------ JULY 2000

FROM THE EDITOR

DANIEL J NCAYIYANA

WELCOME, THE NEW HIV JOURNAL

Editor, South African Medical Journal

It is my great pleasure to salute the launch of the
Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine, and to

congratulate the Southern African HIV Clinicians

Society on their foresight in planning this venture,
and their tenacity in seeing it through to fruition.

The pestilence of HIVlAIDS threatens to wreak

havoc on the social and economic fabric of our

country, and to disrupt the lives of all South

Africans in almost unimaginable ways. Yet the

available information on HIV/AIDS has oiten

tended to be fragmentary, distorted and confusing.

This journal will serve as one of the very few home-

grown, dependable sources of information for the

practising physician, backed as it is by the authority

of the Southern African HIV Clinicians Society.

President Mbeki has been much criticised for his

perceived stand on HIVlAIDS, but one of his pro-

nouncements is indisputable, namely that African

solutions must be sought and found for AIDS in

Africa. This new publication will help do just that.

I trust that the South African medical com-

munity will give this venture its wholehearted

support, and that those in a position to do so will

contribute regularly to the contents.

It will serve as a forum for the news and views of
the Society and updates on its own activities, regional

news and the activities of its international affiliates.

Although the next issue of the Journal is scheduled for

November of this year, it is hoped that a monthly edition
will soon become a reality. This will of course depend on

the future support that the Journal receives, and in this

regard it would be appropriate for me to thank those

who have contributed to making this launch edition

possible.

DES MARTIN

Editor, Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine
President Elect, Southern African HIV Clinicians Society

ANEW
JOURNAL
FORA
RAPIDLY
EMERGING
DISEASE

The 13th International Aids Conference takes place in

Durban, South Africa, from 9 to 14 July 2000. This is

noteworthy for a number of reasons: In the first

instance, it is the first time that the conference is being

held on the African continent, and notably, it is also the

first time it is being held in a developing country. The

host country is witnessing the fastest growing HIV

epidemic in the world - it is estimated that 1 in 10

South Africans is infected with the virus. The scientific

community, and indeed the population at large, has

recently witnessed the re-emergence of the debate

surrounding the link between HIV and AI DS. The

sensationalism surrounding this has only served to

deviate and diffuse the focus away from the prevention

and management of the problem. The Southern African

HIV Clinicians Society has played an active part during

recent times in reassuring both the public and clinicians

about the way forward in dealing with the epidemic.

Continuing medical education plays an important

role in achieving this and is one of the key programmes

of the Society.

This first issue of the Southern African Journal of

HIV Medicine coincides with the conference in Durban
and it is hoped that it will find a place in the reading of

medical, scientific and allied professionals dealing with

HIV disease in our region. It is also hoped that it will
receive broader recognition amongst the international

community, which is urged to engage actively in the

discourse surrounding the epidemic in our region.

HIV-related research continues to flourish in South

Africa and the scientific community is placed to answer

important questions, particularly in the fields of vaccine

research, mother-ta-child transmission of HIV and co-

infection with HIV and tuberculosis. In addition,

increasing access to antiretroviral therapies

is becoming a reality so that appropriate therapies now

fall within the grasp of a wider treater base of prac-

titioners. The Journal will provide a home for original

scientific articles, review articles and continuing

medical education and will also provide a forum for

debate and discussion on the topical issues of the day.