FROM THE
EDITOR

When I look back and take stock of what has happened

over the last year the highlights include the success of

the Dira Sengwe Conference in Durban; the

commencement of antiretroviral therapy by Zackie

Achmat and his nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize;

the emergence of meaningful corporate antiretroviral

rollouts; the lowering of many antiretroviral prices to

not-for-profit levels, and the government's vacillation

over the provision of antiretrovirals (ARVs), hastily

followed by their announcement of an ARV rollout

planned to begin at pilot sites early next year.

At Society level, the increase in membership and

initiatives has been harci to keep pace with. From 300

members in April 2000 we have burgeoned to nearly

6 000 members, more than half of whom have

successfully completed the Society/Foundation for

Professional Development HIV Management Course. In

addition, about two dozen people have also sar the

examinarions for the Colleges of Medicine's Diploma in

HIV Management. The Society has employed a database

manager to capture not only members' contact details,

but also their continuing medical educarional

achievements 50 that maximum use can be made of the
darabase as a referral tool and doctor network of trained

and experienced practirioners. The governmenr would

be well advised to partner with rhe Sociery in its rollout

and make use of rhe Sociery's rrained HIV/AIDS marers

and mulriaisciplinary experts, some wirh 15 years'

experience.

Access programmes have always been embraced by rhe

Society in order to meet the organisation's core

objective of providing state-of-the-art medical care lO

those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. Recently the

Society entered into an agreement with GSK's Global

Access Programme to obtain GSK anriretrovirals for

members' unfunded and 'under-funded' patients whose

HIV medical aid benefits are insufficient to fund 12

months of trearment. To date, approximately 200

members have registered on the programme and as a
result, a significanr number of patienrs are benefiring

from far more affordable treatmenr. For more details

about the programme, ring the Society's new Special

Projects Manager, Mrs Berry Prentice, on (011) 453-

5066.

I would like to take this opportuniry to recognise the

voluntary work undertaken by many members of the

Society involved in a large variety of humanitarian

organisations and programmes. They give selflessly of

their time and skills in an to attempr to combat the

ravages of HIV/AIDS in our country. Let's hope their

generous efforts will be assisted by the government's

programme and planned rollout of antiretrovirals.

On a final note, I would like to wish you all a peaceful

and restful holiday season.

DES MARTIN
Editor, Southern African Journal ofHIVMedicine
President, Southern Africon HIV Clinicians Society