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Nelson Mandela Google Doodle -- why didn't Madiba ever take a stand against HIV/AIDS in the early days?

Nelson Mandela Google Doodle -- why didn't Madiba ever take a stand against HIV/AIDS in the early days?

Written by Nirmalya Dutta |Updated : July 18, 2014 3:27 PM IST

Nelson MandelaFourscore and 16 years (96 for those not familiar with Abe Lincoln's Gettysburg Speech) ago a man was born in South Africa who would make the nation of South Africa rethink its deeply prejudicial Apartheid policy. His name was Nelson Mandela and internet giants Google tipped its hat to his legacy by honouring him with a doodle that contained some of his most memorable quotes.

Along with illustrations of the former South African president, visitors could also take a click through journey through his most well-known quotes coupled with an illustration denoting the 'Long Walk to Freedom'.

Born on 18 July 1918, Nelson Mandela lived for 95 years until pulmonary infection ended his legacy. He spent 27 years in prison for challenging the Apartheid regime and would go on to be the president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. Mandela once famously said: 'No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.'

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Mandela's shadow sits large on the entire country. When the author was in the nation to attend a conference titled the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Children's Health (PMNCH), the event was chaired by his widow Gracha Machel who broke her year of mourning to address the gathering. The mall next door was called Mandela Square and had a towering statute of the man and the Apartheid Museum which showcases the worst humanity has to offer sang paeans to his efforts. But Mandela's legacy at least in the healthcare scenario will always be mixed. Why? Because of South Africa's HIV/AIDS situation.

Nelson Mandela's HIV/AIDS Legacy

When Mandela was released from prison in 1990, 1% of the South African adult population was HIV positive and the situation was only getting worse with time. Of course he was nowhere as bad as his successor President Thabo Mbeki, who was a total AIDS denialist and refused to acknowledge that HIV caused AIDS wreaking havoc on the nation's battle against HIV/AIDS. This led to a situation so bad, that as of 2007, 18% of South Africa's adult population were HIV positive*. Of course Mandela had a lot to deal with upon becoming president. His government still had to battle the far right white minority, bring about reconciliation in a nation torn apart but there will always be claims that he never showed leadership on the AIDS issue.

One of the foremost HIV activists, Justice Edwin Cameron told Frontline that despite his best efforts he could never get Mandela personally involved in the HIV/AIDS crisis. His greatest contribution in the battle against HIV/AIDS came when he announced he lost his son Makgatho Lewanika Mandela to AIDS on 6 January 2005 upon which Nelson Mandela said: 'Let us give publicity to HIV/AIDS and not hide it, because the only way to make it appear like a normal illness like tuberculosis, like cancer, is always to come out and say somebody has died because of HIV/AIDS, and people will stop regarding it as something extraordinary.'

Talking to FrontlineCameron said: 'At that time, we were begging for a meeting with him. We being myself as the co-chair of the National Convention on AIDS. I was still in the closet with my own HIV status, but I both as policy maker and a judge and a human rights lawyer and as someone living covertly with the virus myself had an intense sense of urgency about getting this man to take a leadership position.

I wrote to him. I wrote to Deputy President Mbeki. I wrote to the secretary general of the ANC, Cheryl Corrolas. I wrote to Dr. Nklata Mklana and many of Mandela's personal friends who have died since. I begged everyone for access to him, to press on him the need for his leadership. What we wanted from him was not a framework for governmental action. In that regard, there were other failings. There were operational failings, management failings, output failings between 1994 and 1999. What I wanted from President Mandela was something very specific. It was his personal presence, his voice, his leadership on AIDS. And that, we never got.'

*UNAIDS Report 2007

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