The Democratic Alliance's Jack Bloom (MPL) has commended the Gauteng Health MEC Hope Papo during the presentation of the health budget at the provincial Legislature.
"Madam speaker, I wish to say at the outset that the Gauteng Health Department has the best MEC that it has ever had." MPL Bloom said this responding to the budget policy statement presentation. Among the key successes that were highlighted by MEC Papo is the progressive reduction of mother to child transmission (MTCT) of HIV, from HIV positive mothers to their unborn children - which has reached a record low of 1.9%- the lowest in the country.
The MEC made a declaration that "no child will be born with HIV in Gauteng" - to a HIV positive mother - and called for a concerted effort to get all pregnant women to clinic by 14 weeks so that proper intervention can be started thus resulting in improved maternal outcomes.
