Mbeki is also known as a controversial leader of
South Africa because of his stance on
HIV/AIDS. He believes
HIV is not directly linked to AIDS, and has publicly stated that
AIDS is caused by a number of other factors, most having to do with
poverty,
malnutrition, other
sexually transmitted infections,
contaminated water, and
poor living conditions. He has not fought against the
misconceptions that
AIDS can be caught by hugging
infected children and babies.
Mbeki has appointed a circle of "AIDS dissidents," who are doctors and scientists who support him in his stance on the lack of a link between HIV and AIDS. The majority of
medical health professionals and
scientists across the world, however, acknowledge a
link between the
virus and deficiency syndrome. Last year, in the
South African city of
Durban where the world's biggest
AIDS conference was being held, Mbeki gave a speech and disappointed many by focusing on how
poverty attributed to the spread of AIDS, instead of talking about what the
government could do to fight and combat HIV and AIDS.