AHF Pays Tribute to a Courageous Advocate from South Africa - Prudence Mabele

"Today we have actually lost a giant, an HIV-struggle legend and a tough supporter of women's rights and accessibility to HIV therapy," states Larissa Klazinga, Regional Policy and Campaigning for Manager: Southern Africa AIDS Health care Foundation (AHF), commemorating the sudden death of Positive Women's Network Director, Vigilance Mabele on Monday, 10 July.

" Prudence, a veteran buddy and partner of AHF (actually, as recently as mid-June she was marching with us at the SA AIDS meeting in Durban), was a groundbreaker in South Africa when she became one of the very first black females to publicly disclose her HIV-positive condition in 1992," Klazinga claims.

" Prudence was a vital voice for all ladies, however especially females dealing with HIV," includes Hilary Thulare, Country Program Director, AHF South Africa. "Her passing is a horrible loss."

Mabele was one of the founders of the Therapy Activity Project (TAC) "and among the first gay females to increase the issue of HIV amongst lesbians in 1995, a key leader in the 1-in- 9 campaign anti-rape coalition and a vital voice in the defend LGBT civil liberties in South Africa," Klazinga says.

" Her sacrifices and has a hard time assisted millions accessibility HIV treatment, she campaigned relentlessly in the battle for justice for people coping with HIV, spoke up against physical violence versus ladies and never ever quit enlightening, inspiring and advocating for ladies right up until she passed away. She is a true South African hero and will certainly be sorely missed out on," Thulare claims.

In sending out condolences to Mabele's family members and Favorable Women's Network, Klazinga assured, "AHF will remain to battle till Vigilance's dream of access to treatment is realized for everybody."

To learn more on AHF see aidshealth.org.