The international medical relief agency Medecins Sans Frontieres, MSF, today welcomes the fact that Matthias Rath had dropped the court case against its South Africa head of mission Dr Eric Goemaere. "We are pleased that this phenomenal waste of time has ended. This will allow us to refocus our energies on our main work, which is to help people with HIV/AIDS in Khayelitsha get access to safe and effective medicines," said Dr Goemaere. Rath sued on the basis that Dr Eric Goemaere defamed him by calling him a 'liar' and a 'killer'.
Rath has also dropped the defamation cases he brought in 2005 against South Africa's leading AIDS scientist Dr Hoosen (Jerry) Coovadia, Heath-e news services and several newspapers, media houses and journalists. Unfortunately, one case is ongoing: the highly respected Mr Kadar Asmal, verteran ANC member and former minister for education continues to be sued by Rath. This case must also be dropped.
Raths' illegal activities - promoting the view that antiretrovirals are dangerous and don't work in order to sell his own untested multivitamins - continue to undermine patient access to antiretroviral care in Khayelitsha. "We know that quite a few patients have been convinced to stop taking their antiretroviral medicines by Rath's activities and some of these have died as a result," said Dr Goemaere "What is even more dangerous is that many people who are sick and urgently need treatment will now not seek it because they have been deliberately confused."
Rath has been widely criticized by South African Medical Association, the Southern African HIV Clinicians Society, hundreds of prominent health care workers, and several prominent ANC members.
"There are many charlatans like Rath in this world and they will always occupy space if they are given it," said Dr Goemaere. "The South African department of health must protect its own antiretroviral programme from unscientific nonsense that would be laughable if it didn't have such deadly consequences."
Médecins Sans Frontières has been working with the provncial government of Western Cape to provide care for people with HIV/AIDS in Khayelitsha since 2000. MSF currently supports antiretroviral therapy for over 3,500 people iin Khayelitsha and another 1500 in Lusikisiki. The organization recently committed to the provincial department of health to continue supporting Khayelitsha for at least the next two years.
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