Summary
26 April 2010
South Africa's president has revealed that he is HIV negative.
Jacob Zuma made the announcement at the launch of a new AIDS initiative.
Reporter:
Andrew Harding
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Report
President Zuma said he was revealing his HIV status to promote openness, and to eradicate the silence and stigma that accompanies the AIDS epidemic. He told a crowd at a hospital near Johannesburg that he'd now had four tests - all negative. Mr Zuma's sex life has been the focus of intense scrutiny and criticism in South Africa. He has three wives and has also admitted to having unprotected sex with other women.
But if his private life is controversial, his public stance on AIDS has been broadly welcomed here. His predecessor, Thabo Mbeki, questioned mainstream AIDS science, and delayed the provision of life-saving drugs. Mr Zuma, in contrast, is taking a much more proactive role. The campaign he's now backing hopes to get 15 million people tested over the next year, and provide drugs to 80% of those needing them.
South Africa is the worst affected country in the world. According to UN figures, almost one in eight people are HIV positive.
Andrew Harding, 大象传媒 News
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Vocabulary
- to promote openness
to encourage people to be honest and talk freely
- to eradicate
to stop or destroy something negative
- stigma
feeling that something is socially unacceptable
- epidemic
particular disease which affects a large number of people at the same time
- the focus of intense scrutiny
a lot of people are looking at his behaviour very carefully (especially to see if he has done something wrong)
- having unprotected sex
having a sexual relationship with someone without using a condom to protect each person from sexually transmitted diseases
- his private life is controversial
a lot of people have very strong and differing opinions about what he does outside of his public duties as president
- stance
publicly stated opinion or belief
- broadly welcomed
most people thought it was a good idea
- is taking a much more proactive role
is being someone who takes action by causing change (rather than only reacting to change when it happens)
