The province is ready to roll-out the new HIV and AIDS treatment procedure in April this year, the Gauteng provincial Health Council said on Tuesday.
This, after a meeting with Gauteng’s MEC for Health and Social Development, Qedani Mahlangu, and the members of mayoral committees responsible for heath, social development and emergency medical care, to discuss plans to improve services delivery in the province.
The new HIV and AIDS treatment procedure requires that antiretroviral treatment should be provided to all patients co-infected with tuberculosis (TB) and HIV if their CD4 count is 350 or less.
Treatment should also be provided to pregnant women with the CD4 of 350 or less or those with AIDS defining symptoms regardless of CD4 count. Also, all children under one year of age will get treatment if they test positive. Initiating treatment will therefore not be determined by the level of CD cells. Previously, the CD4 count threshold was set at 200. CD4 count is used as an indicator of how sick a person with HIV is.
Departmental spokesperson, Simon Zwane, said already there were more than 200 000 people in the province that were on antiretroviral treatment at the end of the last financial year.
“We expect this number to increase drastically with the implementation of the new protocol in April,” said Zwane.
Zwane said the department wanted to re-iterate the call to all people, especially men, to test for HIV at any health facilities in order to be advised on what steps to take depending on their HIV status.
“Many HIV positive people present themselves when their conditions have already deteriorated, requiring additional resources because they have to be treated at tertiary level,” he said.
In addition, the province will also undertake a massive safe sex campaign to prevent the HIV and AIDS. Zwane said soccer stars and the South African professional football union would be approached to form part of the education drive to reach as many as people as possible during the world cup and beyond.
The entertainment industry will also be targeted with closer focus on bars, clubs, hotels, brothels, fan parks as well as park and ride facilities.
The department further noted that the abuse of alcohol and drugs was a contributor to unsafe sex practices and the province would undertake a campaign to highlight this issue.
Issued by: Office of the Premier, Gauteng Provincial Government
12 February 2010
Source: Gauteng Provincial Government (http://www.gautengonline.gov.za/)
