Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen
Introductory comments
Thank you for attending this media event which follows the first SANAC plenary meeting since the election of the current government.
Whilst this is my first SANAC plenary meeting, as chairperson of SANAC I have been involved in a number of activities since April. Amongst these are: a meeting of the Inter-ministerial Committee of HIV and AIDS; a meeting with the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Dr Michel Sedibe; a meeting with the Executive Director of the Global Fund; and a meeting of sector leaders of SANAC which we held yesterday.
I must say that all the meetings that I referred to have been extremely positive. Our efforts to deal with the epidemic are being acknowledged and there is much goodwill expressed by our partners outside the country and stakeholders in the country. We must collectively build this goodwill so that we muster all our resources, external and internal, to deal decisively with this epidemic.
I wish to say a few things about the sector leaders meeting that I hosted yesterday. This was the second meeting hosted by the chair of SANAC. Former Deputy President Mbete held the first meeting which was an attempt to engage the sector leaders around key strategic issues.
At yesterday’s meeting we agreed that there was value in convening sector leaders from time to time to ‘trouble shoot’ to find ways to get additional traction in strategic issues and unlock barriers to accelerating progress. There was consensus that these meeting will be ad hoc depending on need so that we can strengthen not duplicate, existing structures of SANAC.
At the meeting sector leaders presented highlights of their work and some of their challenges. A key challenge that we collectively acknowledged was the levels of organisation and the capacity of the sectors at national level as well as at provincial level. A related issue that became clear at the meeting was the need to strengthen the functioning of the sectors and the provincial and district AIDS Councils.
I must note that the meeting was very collegial and highly productive. I have not doubt about the commitment by sector leaders in assisting in the national effort to meet the targets in the National Strategic Plan for HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
The meeting also highlighted amongst others to improve communication amongst sectors and with our communities and to strengthen the functioning of the SANAC structures such as the Programme Implementation Committee and the Plenary.
We have started the process of strengthening the SANAC Secretariat. I am happy to announce that we have appointed Dr Nono Simelela as the first Chief Executive Office of the SANAC Secretariat. She was able to join us today and will officially commence duty on 1 September. In addition, three other positions are about to be filled. These are for administration, resource mobilisation and for social mobilisation and communication.
Let me now highlight some of the key decisions taken by today’s SANAC plenary.
External review of the National Tuberculosis (TB) Control Programme
The World Health Organisation led an external review of the National TB Control Programme during July this year. The Regional Advisor on TB briefed Plenary on the findings of the Review. In summary, the review found that there is significant improvement in the National TB Control Programme after visiting facilities and districts in all 9 provinces. Cure rates have improved and defaulter rates are declining. Over 90% of TB patients are being tested for HIV.
However, the review also found a number of challenges. Most important amongst these are: (a) the need for greater integration of the TB and HIV services given the high co-infection rates, in particular the need to increase the number of HIV patients tested for TB and initiated on treatment; (b) need to strengthen infection control especially in health facilities and in communities and households; (c) need to address gaps in the treatment of drug resistant TB; and (d) need for additional resources to be invested in the TB programme.
The review proposed that TB become part of the agenda of SANAC so that further progress can be made in addressing HIV/TB co-infections in particular.
SANAC plenary welcomed the review report and agreed that TB should be part of SANAC’s agenda and the work of SANAC’s structures (the modalities of which are to be worked out) and agreed that sectors should become more involved in the fight against TB.
Resource Mobilisation
The Round 9 country proposal has been finalised and submitted to the Global Fund. Results of the assessment by the Global Fund will be announced in November 2009. In addition, the Resource Mobilisation Committee (RMC) has begun to explore other sources of funding for SANAC activities.
Ms Beckett, from the business sector was nominated as a member of the RMC to fill a vacancy that resulted from a resignation. It was also agreed that two representatives from the donor community be selected onto the RMC to ensure that the needs of the country are accommodated by our development partners.
Technical issues
A progress report on the plans to conduct a mid-term review of the National Strategic Plan and the functioning of SANAC was provided as was the importance of knowing where the next 1000 infections would come from so that our interventions can be more focused.
The Plenary noted that commercial sex work makes women vulnerable to sexual abuse and violence and therefore makes it difficult to protect themselves from HIV transmission. It was in this context that sectors were requested to consult on this matter with specific reference to the possibility of decriminalising sex work.
It was agreed that all sectors should focus on mobilising and informing our communities on the importance of prevention of mother-to-child transmission. This will support the efforts of the Department of Health who in the process of strengthening this programme. The goal for the country as reflected in the National Strategic Plan is to decrease transmission to less than 5% by 2011.
The Sports and Entertainment Sector of SANAC will convene a summit on 1 September to consider how we will use the FIFA World Cup in 2010 to focus on HIV and AIDS and to ensure that the event does not itself result in increased transmission.
The Plenary also discussed the issue of male circumcision and the prevention of HIV transmission. Consultation with the various sectors has commenced and is ongoing especially with traditional leaders and traditional health practitioners. It was agreed that whilst a policy is being finalised by SANAC, the Department of Health should convene a consultative meeting composed of representatives of all sectors, to develop a comprehensive communication strategy that provides information on male circumcision as part of comprehensive sexual and reproductive health as it does not provide full protection from transmission. The key messages in the communication strategy should be sensitive to cultural and religious practices and the need to separate the issue of male circumcision from that of initiation. The Department was also directed to determine how to expand access to voluntary male circumcision as uptake increases as a consequence of increased advocacy for male circumcision.
Issued by: The Presidency
31 July 2009
Source: The Presidency (http://www.thepresidency.gov.za)
