Dr. Rath Health Foundation

Responsibility for a healthy world

Matthias Rath, M.D.

January 4, 2007

David Remnick, editor
The New Yorker

 

Thank you for your e-mail response dated January 3, 2007, which has been forwarded to me by my attorney.

I consider your proposal for a telephone conversation with Michael Specter no solution to the serious problem of AIDS. The debate about the control of this global epidemic is an extremely serious matter and cannot be dealt with in a “last-minute” phone talk with a pending deadline of a few hours.

According to his own representations, Michael Specter has researched his article for several months without seriously trying to contact me. In fact, the only communication I ever read from him was a 20 line Email, dated December 29, 2006, which was already addressed to my attorney.

More importantly, after being notified about the interest of “The New Yorker” to write an article about AIDS, South Africa and the work of our Foundation there, I responded to your request in a responsible manner. I undertook great efforts to write a comprehensive 10-page review about the scientific facts, the work of our Research Institute, and our Foundation on effective and safe approaches to the AIDS epidemic. I have sent you an additional carefully drafted letter yesterday.

The comprehensive scientific and medical information contained in my letters should enable you to review the article by Michael Specter and take the appropriate decisions.

Having said this, I remain willing to contribute to any article by “The New Yorker” that informs its readers about science-based options for the control of the AIDS epidemic in an objective and factual way.

If this is the purpose of “The New Yorker”, I – as well as my research team – continue to be available as scientists, consultants or as interview partners for an in-depth exchange of scientific information on the control of AIDS with your journal.

Sincerely yours,

Dr. Matthias Rath