Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma

South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma called on African leaders to effectively deal with HIV and as such eliminate one of the main causes of maternal deaths on the continent.

Addressing the Campaign for Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa (CARMMA), President Zuma was one of more than 15 Heads of State and policy makers who participated in the High-Level Meeting. The African leaders reviewed past successes and future opportunities for reducing maternal and child mortality in Africa.

“HIV still contributes to about 40% of maternal and child deaths in South Africa. This means that unless we deal decisively with HIV we will not be able to reduce maternal and child mortality to any significant extent,” said President Zuma.

FOURTEEN years ago, Kholekile Shasha joined SA’s nascent doctor training programme in Cuba, unaware of how controversial the state-sponsored initiative would turn out to be.

He came from a poor family, and had finished high school in the Eastern Cape with exam results just shy of the grades needed to study medicine in SA. He leaped at the chance of a free education in Cuba.

"I was disadvantaged in terms of colour, and access to education and finance," he says.

PRESS RELEASE