The Gauteng Department of Health and Social development has reduced the number of infection in babies by more than half, from 11.6 % to 2.3 % through the implementation of health services for pregnant women.
The department’s campaign which continuously encourages expectant mothers to attend antenatal classes so that complications are detected in the early stages of pregnancy contributed to this achievement.
Continuous public education, awareness and door to door campaigns also assisted in reducing the infection rate.
The department has 340 clinics and hospitals which provide ART with trained, professional nurses to initiate and maintain on-going ART programmes.
To further strengthen the fight against HIV and Aids, the department hosted the Gauteng Aids summit which aimed at proposing the actions plan to implement the National Strategic Plan for the 2012/16.
Some of the proposals were accessibility of HIV services at all public health facilities at extended working hours, effective life skills content in schools that will inform individuals to take informed decisions and make right choices and empowering young people with learnership programs on practical skills that are community based such as crime prevention, environmental issues, poverty alleviation so as to be employable and contribute in their own communities.
The summit focused on ways of addressing social and structural barriers to HIV, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) and TB prevention, care and impact, Prevent new HIV, STI and TB infections, Sustain health and wellness and increase protection of human rights and improve access to justice.
Delivering a keynote address at the opening of the summit on Thursday, 29 March Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane said that HIV is slowly robbing the country of future leaders who could be making a healthy contribution to the welfare and economic development of our province and the country in general.
Addressing nongovernmental organisations, faith based organisations, traditional healers and government officials Premier Mokonyane said:“This situation needs to be urgently attended to as it has a potential of bringing misery and can also have a crippling effect on the economy.
The goals of the National Strategic Plan is to:
- Reduce new infections by 50%
- Achieve 80% of those eligible for ART
- Reduce the number of new TB infections and death by 50%
- Ensure an enabling and accessible legal framework to protect and promote human rights
- Reduce reported stigma related to TB and HIV by 50%
The Premier urged all stakeholders to be involved in the fight against this pandemic and emphasised that government alone cannot win this battle.
The summit reflected on the progress the province is making in the fight against HIV and Aids and to come up with recommendations to deal with the challenges that are still faced in this battle.
Enquiries:
Simon Zwane
Cell: 082 551 9892
