The health of children in Gauteng has shown marked in improvement with reductions achieved in the transmission of HIV from mothers to their babies, a drop in incidences of diarrhoea and pneumonia as well as improved follow up after birth.
According to the annual report tabled by MEC Hope Papo in the provincial legislature, there has been a further notable reduction in HIV transmission from mothers to children in the 2012/13 financial year. During the year under review, 2.4% of babies tested HIV-positive when tested at six weeks of age, compared to 3.6% in 2011/12.
About 96% of babies born to women with HIV received antiretroviral treatment within 72 hours of birth and the department expanded its accredited services for antiretroviral treatment (ART) from 359 to 364 sites during the year. A total of 693 136 adults and 41 172 children were on treatment by the end of the financial year.
There was an observable improvement in coverage of postnatal care for mother and baby within six weeks of birth. The percentage of mothers who received follow up visits after giving birth improved from 60% to 85% and follow-up for babies also improved from 60% to 86.6% during the reporting year.
The province reported no incidents of cholera fatalities during the year and the incidences of diarrhoea among children below the age of five were further reduced to 4.1% compared to 5% in 2011/12 financial. The incidences of pneumonia also showed a remarkable drop from 4.7% to 3.7%, a great stride in making Gauteng a ‘province fit for children”.
A successful campaign to prevent influenza saw the immunisation of more than 30 580 pregnant women and 26 000 children under the age of five years. The department utilised more than 99% of vaccines available.
During 2012/13, a total of 211 144 deliveries took place in our facilities, an increase of 7 279 on the previous year and the department took a number of measures aimed at improving child survival rates. It achieved Mother and Baby Friendly accreditation for an additional five institutions, bringing the total to 48 facilities. These facilities assist mothers to breast feed (which contributes to good nutrition and infant survival) and educate them about the advantages of breastfeeding.
All fixed PHC facilities implement Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses,
an approach advocated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for the early detection and effective treatment of common health problems among pre-school children.
Immunisation services are provided daily by all clinics and some hospitals in Gauteng. The immunisation coverage rate for various vaccine preventable infections has consistently been maintained above 90%. In addition, there is constant surveillance in respect of various diseases, including polio. All cases of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP), which might be due to polio, have been investigated to rule out polio.
An additional preventive intervention is the provision of vitamin A supplements to children aged 6-11months and Gauteng managed to cover more than 90% of eligible children. Dedicated health services for teenagers and young adults were strengthened and the number of youth friendly services was increased to 121 facilities.
The oral health programme provided several thousand children with fissure sealants to conserve their teeth and involved 151 000 children in its tooth-brushing projects. Other health promotion programmes for children included education in correct hand-washing technique – which benefitted 104 103 learners from 138 schools – and healthy living programmes which reached 706 schools.
A total of 111 schools in Gauteng have now been accredited as health promoting schools by the World Health Organisation. More than 700 child minders and 150 community members received training on how they could contribute to the management of childhood diseases.
Enquiries:
Simon Zwane
Cell: 082 551 9892
