According to this article, immigrants and refugees have trouble getting access to health care in South Africa, and have been “unlawfully” denied access to HIV medicines and discriminated against. That’s a tragedy, no doubt, and something needs to be done–but the whole health care system in SA is overwhelmed, and citizens struggle to get adequate health care, too. Still, here’s an example of a true tragedy:
“MSF (Doctors Without Borders) has noted a number of cases where female refugees were ambushed and raped immediately after crossing the border between Zimbabwe and South Africa in the last few months. ‘We came across a young girl who was raped after crossing the border in Musina, for example. She went to the local clinic after the rape but was sent away. MSF found her five days later, but by then it was too late to provide her with post-exposure prophylaxis,’ says Whittall. Post-exposure prophylaxis decreases the risk of HIV infection if administered within 72 hours after the exposure to the virus.”
