South Africa’s controversial health minister who promoted garlic as AIDS treatment dies at 69
By APWednesday, December 16, 2009
South African former health minister dies at 69
JOHANNESBURG — South Africa’s ruling party says former health minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, who gained notoriety for her dogged promotion of lemons, garlic and olive oil to treat AIDS, has died. She was 69.
The African National Congress says Tshabalala-Msimang died in a Johannesburg hospital Wednesday from complications related to 2007 liver transplant.
During her eight years in office, the minister was responsible for some advances in South African health care. But her disastrous policies on HIV made her the most unpopular government minister in post-apartheid South Africa. She was nicknamed “Dr. Beetroot” and “Dr. Garlic.”
By the end of her tenure, an estimated 5.5 million of South Africa’s 45 million people were infected with the virus.
