South Africa emerging from denial
Policies changing

By The Associated Press

Published: December 2, 2008

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — Church bells tolled and workers put down their tools on Monday as South Africa observed a minute of silence for AIDS victims and ended a decade of denial about the epidemic.

As ceremonies marked World AIDS Day around the world, the top U.N. official dealing with the disease, Peter Piot, joined South African political leaders and hundreds of activists to show his support for a government that has broken with the discredited AIDS policies of former President Thabo Mbeki.

"We are the first to admit that a lot still needs to be done,” Deputy President Baleka Mbete said.

An estimated 33 million people worldwide have the AIDS virus, the vast majority of them in Africa. But no country is spared.

In a rare government disclosure, Iran said Monday that it has registered more than 18,000 HIV-positive citizens and estimated the true number to be as high as 100,000.

China — which for years also covered up the disease — vowed to do more to tackle the stigma. It promised to strengthen education about AIDS prevention, increase condom distribution and do more to reach high-risk groups.

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