2 October 2007
"Although there has been a decrease in the prevalence of HIV, the Department
of Health is intensifying its HIV prevention programme including the
improvement of regimen for Prevention of Mother-To-Child Transmission of HIV
(PMTCT)," said Health Minister, Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang.
Minister Tshabalala-Msimang was speaking at the first Global-World HIV and
AIDS Alliance conference hosted in Richards Bay by the University of Zululand
in partnership with Jackson State and Drew Universities.
Minister Tshabalala-Msimang said after about three years of stabilisation,
the 2006 survey of HIV prevalence amongst pregnant women attending public
antenatal clinic shows a decrease in the prevalence of HIV amongst pregnant
women from 30,2% in 2005 to 29,1% in 2006.
"The survey indicates that this decline is mainly amongst people under the
age of 20 years followed by those between 20 and 24. The decline in the under
20s from 15,9% in 2005 to 13,7% in 2006 in particular suggests a possible
reduction in number of new infections (incidence) in the population," said
Minister Tshabalala-Msimang.
She emphasised that these positive findings require that the Department of
Health and all partners intensify the implementation of prevention
interventions and continue to work towards the ultimate goal of a society that
is free of HIV infection.
Minister Tshabalala-Msimang said the Department of Health is working with
stakeholders to review the guidelines for PMTCT in order to improve this
programme. The guidelines will assist health workers to improve from single
dose nevirapine to the introduction of dual therapy for PMTCT.
"The accumulative total of patients who started ARV treatment was estimated
at 300 000 at the end of June 2007. A total of 342 facilities have been
accredited to implement this treatment and more sites are being accredited to
further expand access."
She said these numbers makes South Africa to have the largest number of
people on antiretroviral therapy in Africa and probably in the world. "How
would you provide antiretroviral (ARVs) to so many people and still be labelled
a denialist?" asked Minister Tshabalala-Msimang.
She identified lack of adequate health professionals as a key challenge in
expanding the number of treatment sites and said the department was
implementing various strategies to address the challenges of human resources
for health by improving the overall working conditions for health workers.
Amongst these interventions is the allocation of R1,9 billion for
improvement of 46 hospitals in the country this year and R1,4 billion allocated
for improvement of salaries of nurses by between 20 to 88% this financial
year.
Contact:
Sibani Mngadi
Cell: 082 772 0161
Issued by: Ministry of Health
2 October 2007
