Agnes Binagwaho, Rwanda, Responds to McNeil’s NYTimes article, “Pathogens may change . . .”

Letter to Editor about to McNeil’s NYTimes article, “Pathogens may change . . .” 
by Agnes Binagwaho, August 22, 2011

To the Editor:

Re “Pathogens May Change, but Fear Remains the Same” (Essay, Aug. 15): Rwanda has fought for the last decade to provide free universal access to antiretroviral therapy for all H.I.V.-positive residents who are clinically in need. Activists here and around the continent continue to mobilize and, in partnership with countries like yours, are making incredible progress in the fight against H.I.V./AIDS. Your article painted a false picture of all Africans as fatalistic victims of the virus, instead of activists who are building the global movement to demand access to the fruits of modern medicine. Rwandans are in no way resigned.

Agnes Binagwaho
Kigali, Rwanda
The writer is Rwanda’s minister of health and a senior lecturer at Harvard Medical School.

chers—

thanks to HIV Prevention Justice blog for the heads-up

—rk

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