Mlambo-Ngcuka, at the Civil Society Congress, Randburg Inn, Randburg
27 October 2006
National Civil HIV and AIDS Prevention and Treatment Congress: Building
Solidarity and Action Plan to save lives
Chairperson,
Government Ministers here present,
Presidents and chairpersons of the various organisations,
Friends and colleagues,
Ladies and gentlemen:
I want to start by congratulating you for the organising of this congress.
Government has insisted that partnerships are essential in the building of our
new South African democracy. That is what you do in an event of this nature. I
also want to salute OR Tambo on his birthday, a day when we re-name
Johannesburg International Airport (JIA) after Tambo. In his memory let us work
together.
With all of us working together our society has most of what is needed to
reverse the tide posed by this challenge of HIV and AIDS. We have fought many
battles together and we won because we were united. This was done because we
pulled together we pulled all we have especially our resolve. That is why we
defeated apartheid. We were focussed on a common goal and through speaking with
one voice. That is what we now seek to do, to strengthen the national
partnership against AIDS and send clear messages that will assist our people to
fight and manage the disease better and even to defeat it. We owe our people
that unity of purpose and action!
I have been requested to speak about the government's national response to
HIV and AIDS. Indeed government has the responsibility to lead and guide
because it is the custodian of the health and well-being of the peoples of this
country. However, government cannot do all this alone. Our Department of Health
officials and our Minister work tirelessly. You work tirelessly, many of our
people, experts, health workers, caregivers, work tirelessly and we salute all
of you. Each individual, each family, each community and indeed each sector of
civil society has the responsibility to ensure that we reverse the tide of HIV
and AIDS and together we can beat this scourge.
I am pleased to note that the congress will be deliberating on issues of
prevention as well as treatment the challenges of stigma and discrimination as
well as the fear and misinformation that fuel such behaviour.
Most of you are aware that it is contained in the multi sectoral national
five-year strategic plan that is currently under review as well as the national
operational plan for the comprehensive HIV and AIDS management, treatment,
nutrition, care and support. All of us are concerned about doing all we can to
improve our success in the implementation.
Since the South Africa National Aids Council (SANAC) plenary meeting in May
2006, where a decision was taken for the Department of Health (DoH) to lead a
process of reviewing the 2000 to 2005 National Strategic Plan (NSP), to present
to SANAC a new NSP for 2007 to 2011 a lot of progress has been made. The
assessment report has been finalised and the first draft of the NSP has been
developed. Many of you were involved with the process of validation of that
report. Some of the conclusions drawn indicate that, that framework had to a
great extent, fulfilled its task of giving direction to all stakeholders in the
country that participation in the fight against AIDS has been broadened. It
also highlights the weaknesses related to coordination and implementation.
Specifically, these relate to the extent to which SANAC has fulfilled its
mandate of co-ordination of partners. These are some of the improvements we
will have to make going forward also as we review SANAC. In restructured SANAC
we seek to rebuild the partnership that SANAC is about. We therefore propose
that SANAC has:
* high level representation from all stakeholders indulging government
* revive technical committees
* increase capacity to monitor SANAC's effectiveness
* become more inclusive in the in the make up of SANAC
* separate SANAC from the country's co-ordinating mechanism (CCM) of the global
fund
* use SANAC to forge unity manage differences and never elevate them to major
contradictions at the expense of the fight against the decease
* forge unity such that we work in the best interest of the people of South
Africa and our infected and affected people first.
Again some of you have been involved in the process of the development of
the new NSP. Noting the outcomes of the assessment, the current status of HIV
and AIDS, new developments in scientific evidence as well informed by the
policy and legal environment, the new NSP is suggesting some targets for a
range of these interventions. Your inputs and co-operation with this process
has been valuable. Government shall also await the outcomes of the congress
around these matters and other issues discussed in the meetings we had recently
which include getting greater clarity on the extent of the epidemic, urgent
action on tuberculosis (TB) and other opportunistic infections, greater actions
on gender based violence, human resource development (HRD) which will enable
faster and better implementation, uphold a multi sectoral approach with
prevention treatment care and nutrition.
Whilst it is important to set ambitious targets given the nature and
magnitude of the challenge that we are faced with as a country, it is equally
important that these targets are informed by the capacities to deliver the
services so we do not mislead our people.
This brings me to the comprehensive plan, the plan that currently guides the
national response to HIV and AIDS. You may recall that this plan came about
when antiretroviral (ARV) drugs became affordable through the efforts of
government and civil society. This is a good example of what happens when we,
South Africans, fight together for a common purpose with a common understanding
of what the problem is.
Led by the DoH this plan seeks to enhance the care, treatment and support
element of the multi-sectoral strategy. The pillars and principles outlined in
this plan have to be understood by all South Africans. It is in this plan that
the centrality of prevention in the national response is articulated. Also the
importance of building the social and health system is part of the plan.
Through the monitoring and evaluation framework of the comprehensive plan, some
indicator elements are monitored routinely. With greater human resource we can
do even better.
The DoH has initiated a detailed mid-term review of the implementation of
this plan. This review should report on progress, constraints and outcomes as
well as recommend innovative models to accelerate the scale up.
The process of the review of SANAC has been completed. Some of you have been
part of this process. On Tuesday, 31 October, we will have a workshop on the
restructuring of this council. This will be informed by the outcome of the
review as well as the work that we have begun on rebuilding effective
partnerships and solidarity. In this regard, I'd like to urge civil society to
work with government in ensuring the highest level of representation from all
sectors participates. It is important that sectors organise themselves in a
manner that produces results as lead agencies that will be identified in the
NSP. I am looking forward to constructive recommendations from the congress in
this regard.
Chairperson, ladies and gentlemen, we are at very critical times in the
country on this matter a time that provides excellent opportunities for
rebuilding of a formidable partnership which have previously been successful in
tackling very difficult problems. On 9 October 2006 a national commemoration of
partnerships in AIDS was held in Kimberley, a symbolic renewal of the pledge
was done at this event.
When we reach the 10th anniversary in two years, let us ensure that the
actions we take this year guarantee that we rise to the challenge of working
together to intensify the implementation and reverse the epidemic.
For World AIDS Day this year we want to go all out to build and nurture
partnerships to mobilise the nation under shared messages. To work closely with
our national Department, our provinces and local governments, moreover, the DoH
remains the principal institution for all of us that is mandated to be a
custodian of all our health policy and fights to create a healthy nation our
fight against HIV and AIDS. It has to be supported. I wish to extend our very
best wishes for the Minister's speedy recovery. I recommit to assisting
National Association of People Living with AIDS (NAPWA) and Treatment Action
Campaign (TAC) as representatives of people living with AIDS to unite in
action. During the 16 days of no violence against women and children. Let us
work together again not only during the 16 days but for 365 days.
This is time of opportunity a time for a partnership of hope and united
action. Our people want and need to hear us speaking in one voice. We have an
opportunity to reverse the course of the epidemic and all of us in all our
sectors share the responsibility to our people to treat problems and challenges
as matters for joint solution.
Acting with urgency, resolve and consistency we can overcome! Let us join
hands in a partnership of hope!
At this point I take this opportunity to thank the organisers once more for
the invitation and wish you all the best for the rest of the congress.
I thank you!
Issued by: The Presidency
27 October 2006
