High Transmission Areas (HTA) aimed at high risk groups like truck drivers, and commercial sex workers in the North West province are being flooded with target requiring HIV Counseling and Testing services. The two official HTA sites in Vryburg and Zeerust saw 475 people receiving counseling with 454 taking HIV tests. A total of 339 were screened for tuberculosis (TB) and 27 of those screened were referred for clinical diagnose.
With the success of these sites, the Department of Health is to expand its interventions strategy by rolling out HTA programme in four towns in the next financial year with the purpose of improving access of services beyond normal working hours to high risk groups.
The identified sites are Brits, Koster, Mafikeng and Sifikile in Moses Kotane sub district. The services offered at HTA sites include treatment of common ailments, treatment of sexually transmitted Infections, HIV Counseling and Testing and condom distribution.
The department continues to raise awareness in various communities across the province and Provincial Government departments are also cauntiontising staff members about the HCT campaign. With eleven months into a sixteen months campaign, the province has tested 678 624 people for HIV by February 13 while 770 207 was screened for TB including those seen at HTA sites. A total of114 977 have tested HIV positive with 79 931 screened for TB being referred for clinical diagnose.
The province aims to test one million people out of population of at least 3.2 million by the end of campaign in June.
A total of 20,410 people have been initiated on Antiretroviral Treatment. The total includes 7 044 males, 11 805 females and 1 523 children under the age of 15 years. 2 216 pregnant women were initiated on anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment together with 542 infants.
The initiation is part of new and up-scaled HIV policy announced by President Jacob Zuma during 2009 World AIDS Day which requires that all HIV positive pregnant women and patients on tuberculosis (TB) treatment including MDR and XDR with a CD4 count of 350 or less as well as HIV positive infants receive ARVs at health facilities that offer the service.
MEC Dr Magome Masike urges the public to lead a healthy life style and prevent new HIV infections by regularly by checking their health status. This will reduce the number of people seeking medical treatment, he said.
“We really need to revisit our approach and ensure that we encourage preventive activities. We cannot sustain a department let alone the country health system through curative approaches” MEC Masike said.
Enquiries:
Tebogo Lekgethwane
Department Spokesperson
Cell: 0829299958
E-mail: tlekgethwane@nwpg.gov.za
Ngwako Motsieng
Tel: 0183875830
Cell: 082 964 8838 or 082 097 4970
f2email: 0866342993
fax: 018 387 5794
E-mail:nmotsieng@nwpg.gov.za or nmotsieng@gmail.com
