incorporated into government AIDS response
23 November 2006
The Department of Health has officially taken over all the antiretroviral
treatment (ART) projects initiated by Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF), Doctors
Without Borders, in South Africa since 1999.
MSF had two projects in the country, one in Khayelitsha in Western Cape and
another in Lusikisiki in Eastern Cape, offering ARV therapy to people living
with HIV and AIDS.
The MSF project in Khayelitsha was incorporated into the government's
comprehensive AIDS programme earlier this year and work is in progress to take
over the Lusikisiki project, which was funded by the Nelson Mandela
Foundation.
The MSF was providing ART to at least 2 600 AIDS patients as part of their
pilot treatment project in Khayelitsha by August 2005. The project in
Lusikisiki was providing ARV treatment to at least 2 200 people during the
handover in October 2006.
The Department of Health is committed to ensure that these patients have
access to all the services that are provided to people living with HIV and AIDS
through the Comprehensive Plan for Management, Care and Treatment of HIV and
AIDS. This includes:
* counselling and social support services
* nutritional supplementation
* treatment of opportunistic infections
* and ARV therapy.
In Lusikisiki the department has taken responsibility for the provision of
medicines, nutritional supplementation and other consumables necessary for the
provision of quality care. Doctors from the nearby St Elizabeth Hospital have
replaced the two doctors from MSF in providing treatment pending the
appointment doctors for the clinic.
The department's Project Manager for the Comprehensive Plan, Dr David
Kalombo, said the department has worked together with MSF to ensure that the
project is expanded to cover all the element of the HIV and AIDS care and
treatment programme as outlined in the comprehensive plan on HIV and AIDS.
"We had to ensure for instance that ARV drugs are not delivered to patients
by lay counsellors as dispensing of medicine is a function limited to
pharmacists and appropriately licensed health professionals," said Dr
Kalombo.
For further information contact
Dr David Kalombo
Cell: 082 2950 615
Charity Bhengu
Cell: 083 679 7424
Issued by: Department of Health
23 November 2006
