In an effort to strengthen the fight against HIV and AIDS in the province, the Gauteng Department of Health has initiated more than 700 000 people on antiretroviral (ARV) treatment since the inception of the programme in 2004.
Gauteng is the economic hub of the country and the province is made up of highly mobile population coming from various provinces and countries in search of better economic opportunities. While en route to other areas, some of HIV positive patients access treatment, including ARVs in our health facilities and what is notable is that some of these people do not return for follow up treatment.
Stigma and discrimination still remains a major challenge in communities and it contributes to denial and non-acceptance on one’s HIV positive status.
“Some of the HIV positive patients do not disclose their status for fear of rejection and discrimination. They provide incorrect residential addresses when seeking treatment which makes it very difficult to trace them when they do not come for follow up treatment”, says MEC Hope Papo.
To intensify adherence to treatment, the department is implementing the Ward Based PHC Outreach programme to assist with the tracing of patients who do return for follow up treatment.
The department is hard at work in ensuring that it provides a better service to the Gauteng residents.
Earlier this month, the department awarded certificates to 270 professional nurses who had successfully completed training on Nurse Initiated and Management of Antiretroviral Treatment. These nurses are now qualified to initiate ARV treatment and they will be placed at various ARV sites in the province to improve services.
“Our efforts are beginning to bear the result, during the 2010/11 financial year, the province had 77 ARV sites and today this number has increased to 378. The rate of mother to child transmission of HIV has also dropped from 9% in 2009 to 2.9% in 2012,” concluded MEC Papo.
Enquiries:
Lesemang Matuka
Cell: 072 025 3605
