SA Has No Plan to Prevent HIV/AIDS in Visitors

With no HIV/AIDS prevention plan in place for the hundreds of thousands of visitors expected to visit South Africa during the 2010 World Cup, health advocates are calling for new efforts to prevent the spread of disease. With officials also considering loosing laws to allow sex workers during the event, many are concerned about the high rate of HIV increasing.

The South African Law Commission is studying proposals to legalise sex work as experts warn of an influx of women trafficked for prostitution ahead of the World Cup, but it will be at least three months before it releases its findings. A meeting of stakeholders was also called last week by the South African National Aids Commission to discuss health-related preparations for the World Cup.

...Jonathan Berger, of the Aids Law Project, said the lack of preparation was "of concern" with the tournament kick-off scheduled for 9 June 2010. More than £800m has been spent on state-of-the-art stadiums and infrastructure projects since South Africa won its World Cup bid in 2004. Yet the country's HIV and Aids prevention and treatment programmes remain a shambles, amid overspending by the Department of Health, a shortage of drugs and an exodus of underpaid health professionals.

New calls to tackle Aids risk ahead of 2010 World Cup in South Africa
UTV
June 7, 2009