TAC highlights shortages in health department

The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) says there is a human resource crisis in the health department. The lobby group's Fredalene Booysen says unless the problem is immediately addressed, the government's National Strategic Plan on HIV/Aids will fail.

Booysen was speaking ahead of a planned protest by civil society organisations at the St George's Cathedral later today. Booysen says the axing of deputy health minister, Nosizwe Madlala Routledge, is a setback for South Africa's fight against Aids.

TAC members in purple T-shirts with pictures of the ousted minister have pledged solidarity with her. Leaders of the South African Council of Churches, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) and other NGOs are expected to address the rally.

Bad condoms
Meanwhile TAC says government has failed to provide enough information about its recall of defective condoms. The health department is recalling a batch of 20 million condoms following allegations that the manufacturer had bribed an SABS official to approve condoms that failed to meet quality standards.