Mandela can now breathe without difficulty.
The former president of South Africa, hospitalized since last Wednesday due to a lung infection, "continues to respond to treatment and is not suffering," the country's government reported.
From the Lusa News Agency
Brasilia - Former South African President Nelson Mandela, hospitalized since Wednesday night (27) due to a lung infection, is now able to "breathe without difficulty," the South African Presidency said today. Mandela, 94, was hospitalized after the reappearance of an old pneumonia.
"Doctors say that due to a lung infection, former President Mandela developed a pleural effusion, which has been drained. (...) He is now able to breathe without difficulty. [The former president] continues to respond to treatment and is not suffering," the Presidency said.
Mandela was the first black president of South Africa, from 1994 to 1999, and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. A leading symbol of the struggle against the apartheid regime in South Africa, Mandela earned the respect of adversaries and critics alike for his efforts in the pursuit of peace.
In his honor, the United Nations (UN) established Nelson Mandela International Day (July 18, the South African leader's birthday) in defense of the fight for freedom, justice, and democracy. In 2001, Mandela was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Despite undergoing treatment, he campaigned in favor of combating AIDS, one of the main public health problems in South Africa. In 2004, upon turning 85, he announced his retirement.