Posted by Jeff Zeleny at 6:55 a.m. CDT
KHAYELITSHA, South Africa — Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) said today that he intends to get an HIV test here in Africa, hoping to send a message to men across the continent to follow his lead.
“All leaders have a responsibility to speak loudly and clearly about this issue,” Obama said, speaking to a group of young AIDS educators in this township outside Cape Town. “Leading by example is the right thing to do.”On the second day of a two-week tour of Africa, Obama visited a hospital here this morning that treats people with HIV/AIDS. He gently criticized the South African government for its handling of the health epidemic that claims as many as 1,000 lives a day.
Obama said he intends to be tested on Saturday before going to visit his family in rural Kenya. Activists here praised the move, saying it could help wipe away the stigma associated with getting tested.
“This is very important,” said Zackie Achmat, a prominent AIDS acitivist who met with Obama today. “It sends a message of political leadership being willing to be open about HIV.”
The HIV test was intended to be a late-week surprise, but Obama disclosed it during a question-and-answer session with a half-dozen young AIDS educators as he was repeatedly asked what he was doing to help combat the disease.
