Deputy President David Mabuza on Wednesday appealed to citizens to heed the call to flatten the curve by strengthening efforts to combat the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic as well as continuing the fight to achieve zero new HIV infections.

Mabuza made this call following the death of internationally acclaimed scientist, academic and women's rights campaigner Professor Gita Ramjee who died in a Durban hospital of Covid-19 complications on Tuesday.

He said the country had indeed lost a champion in the fight against the HIV epidemic, ironically at the hands of this global pandemic. “In her honour, we should heed the call to flatten the curve by strengthening our responses to this global pandemic as well as continue the fight to achieve zero new HIV infections,” he explained.

The Deputy President appealed to all South Africans to adhere to the regulations of the lockdown and ensure the spread of the novel coronavirus was halted and the battle against the virus was won.

He conveyed his deepest condolences to the family and friends of Ramjee as well as to the medical research community. 

“Professor Ramjee was renowned for her work on finding HIV prevention methods that were conducive to the lifestyles, circumstances and perceived risk factors that South African women face as well as in the attempts to find an effective HIV vaccine,” explained Mabuza.

Ramjee was internationally recognised for her expertise in the field of microbicide research, including receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award for HIV Prevention and honoured with the Outstanding Female Scientist Award by the European Development Clinical Trials Partnerships for her life’s work that has focused on finding new HIV prevention methods.

Mabuza added that Ramjee’s passing came as a huge blow to the entire healthcare sector and the global fight against HIV/Aids.