AIDS
15 September 2006
Following Cabinet's decision to re-establish the Inter-Ministerial Committee
(IMC) on HIV and AIDS, the Deputy President is pleased to announce that she
convened the first meeting of the IMC on Thursday, 14 September 2006.
The meeting was characterised by a high level of enthusiasm and commitment.
It discussed ways to improve co-ordination within government in the
implementation of the comprehensive HIV and AIDS programme led by the
Department of Health; enhance communication; and build partnership for
implementation. The IMC will meet on a monthly basis henceforth.
The meeting underscored the need to take concrete steps to mend relations
and raise the level of interaction between government and stakeholder
groupings.
It discussed ways in which the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC)
could be strengthened to play the key role of strengthening the national
partnership against HIV and AIDS. The secretariat of SANAC will be strengthened
to ensure that operations of SANAC are better managed and co-ordinated. The
Deputy President, as chairperson of SANAC, will convene SANAC over the next six
weeks to take these matters forward. The IMC agreed that a call will be made to
all members of SANAC to ensure that they are represented by senior members at
future meetings. On its part, government will ensure it is also represented at
the level of Ministers and Directors-General.
In addition to convening SANAC, the Deputy President's office will take
steps to ensure that there is interaction with all other players in the country
who have a meaningful contribution to make in the fight against HIV and AIDS.
The meeting noted that a number of organisations, including the National
Association of People Living with AIDS (NAPWA) and the Treatment Action
Campaign (TAC), have expressed interest in meeting with the government to
discuss government's comprehensive plan on HIV and AIDS. Such meetings will
take place in the first instance with senior government officials at the level
of Directors-General prior to meetings with the Deputy President and members of
the IMC. These meetings will help create a conducive environment for
constructive interaction between government and the various players, and will
go a long way towards clearing the misunderstandings that have existed in the
sector.
The meeting took note of the need expressed by Cabinet to improve
communication regarding government's policy and programme on HIV and AIDS, in
South Africa and internationally. Departments involved in implementation of the
programme will be working with Government Communications (GCIS) to ensure
co-ordinated communication that promotes implementation and access; builds
partnership; and ensures awareness of both the challenges and the progress that
is being made, as set out in the attached fact sheet (also available on
https://www.gov.za).
Despite the negativity that characterises some current media coverage,
Government will remain focused on doing all that is necessary to accelerate and
expand implementation of our comprehensive HIV and AIDS programme. The IMC will
ensure that government�s commitment in this regard remains firm.
UPDATE ON GOVERNMENT'S COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAMME ON HIV AND AIDS�- 8 September
2006
http://www.info.gov.za/faq/aids.htm
What is government's approach to HIV and AIDS?
Government is implementing a comprehensive plan to deal with HIV and AIDS,
which combines prevention, to ensure that those who are not infected remain so,
with treatment, care and support for those infected or affected.
It is based on a five-year strategic plan adopted in 2000 which has unfolded
into what is probably the largest programme in the world, sustained by a budget
which has expanded and is set to grow still further in order to sustain it.
Essential to the programme is the strengthening of the national health
system.
Government expenditure on HIV and AIDS increased substantially over years -
it grew from R30 million in 1994 to over R3 billion in 2005/06. The World
Health Organisation's progress report on the expansion of AIDS treatment,
released in June 2005, noted that: �South Africa has committed US$1 billion
over the next three years to scaling up antiretroviral treatment, by far the
largest budget allocation of any low- or middle-income country'.
The programme's impact is reflected in very high levels of awareness;
changes in behaviour, especially among the young; stabilisation in recent years
of the level of prevalence which had been rising fast; and the creation of
infrastructure to support and sustain counselling, testing, care and treatment
across the country.
Critical to successful implementation is an active partnership of all of
society with government. The partnership is embodied in the South Africa
National AIDS Council and expressed in action which sees government,
communities and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working together to
implement all aspects of the comprehensive plan.
What progress has been made in implementing the country's comprehensive
plan?
Progress has been made in the various aspects of the plan:
* in accordance with the plan, each of the 53 health districts in the
country now has at least one service point providing comprehensive HIV- and
AIDS-related services, including antiretroviral treatment (ART), from
prevention to terminal palliative care
* 250 laboratories have been certified to provide support to the
programme
* three pharmacovigilance centres have been established to monitor and
investigate adverse reaction to treatment.
By the end of June 2006, over 178 635 patients had been initiated for ART and
there is no stock out in all facilities.
To date, 254 facilities are implementing the comprehensive plan covering
72,5% of the country�s subdistricts. Forty-three CD4 counts, 11 viral load and
seven PCR machines are operational in laboratories across the country.
What place does prevention have in South Africa�s HIV and AIDS
programme?
South Africa�s approach emphasises the centrality of prevention, so that
those not infected remain so; and the importance of strengthening the national
health system to provide a complete continuum of care and other interventions
that would mitigate the impact of HIV and AIDS and other diseases.
A significant reduction in sexually transmitted infections has been reported
over the last few years due to communication and treatment programme
Government programmes are complemented by private-sector, NGO and
civil-society initiatives. A new phase of the awareness campaign started in
September 2002, joining government with partners like loveLife, and focusing on
youth prevention, support for orphans and vulnerable children, and living
positively.
Prevention activities have further been strengthened through the Khomanani
(Caring Together) Campaign, a multimedia mass communication campaign supporting
all aspects of the comprehensive programme and driving the ABC message for
sexual behavioural change.
The Khomanani Campaign is being decentralised to provinces.
The distribution of condoms increased to 386 million male and 1,3 million
female condoms in 2005/06.
The prevention programme includes prevention of mother-to-child
transmission, with 3 000 facilities in operation, covering 87% of health
facilities, post-exposure prophylaxis is provided in almost all hospitals and
trauma centres for sexual assault survivors and health professionals exposed to
HIV.
Health facilities providing voluntary counselling and testing increased from
3 369 in 2004/05 to 4 930 in 2005/06.
How is the country approaching human resources in the public health
system?
More than 1 060 health professionals have been recruited to support the
programme and 9 107 health professionals have been trained in the management,
care and treatment of HIV and AIDS.
Government is also improving working conditions so that it can recruit and
retain more health professionals. This includes providing scarce skills
allowances for certain categories of health professionals (doctors, pharmacists
and specialist nurses) and rural allowances for health professionals working in
less developed parts of the country. This is in addition to steadily improving
salary packages.
What treatment is offered in the public health sector?
Treatment at public health facilities is covered in the Operational Plan for
Comprehensive Treatment and Care for HIV and AIDS in the country, which was
approved by Cabinet in November 2003. This covers the areas of counselling,
good nutrition and healthy lifestyles, treatment of opportunistic infections,
traditional medicine and antiretroviral drugs.
Public health facilities have a duty to treat opportunistic infections,
irrespective of the patient's HIV status. The Department of Health is
continuing with the training of healthcare workers in the management of
opportunistic infections. Currently, all health facilities are providing
treatment for opportunistic infections.
Nutritional supplements are provided to those who need them, as part of the
comprehensive response to HIV and AIDS, as a complement to the appropriate
forms of treatment. About 480 000 qualifying TB and HIV-positive patients have
accessed this service since April 2004.
What is done to provide care and support and to fight discrimination?
Support and care for those affected by HIV and AIDS is expanding, through
increased governmental social grant registration and increases in grants, as
well as growing home- and community-based care programmes.
There are 45 step-down care facilities, 732 support groups and 1 176
home-based care organisations providing services in the communities.
The public health system provides nutritional supplements to patients with
HIV and AIDS and/or TB and this has therefore increased macro and micronutrient
requirements.
The Khomanani Campaign is tapping public willingness to help alleviate the
suffering caused by HIV and AIDS.
A tool kit on how to live positively with HIV and AIDS has been developed in
collaboration with people living with the disease. It aims to put faces and
share experiences to reduce the stigma, and is being distributed to support
groups.
About 10 million Information Education and Communication (IEC) materials
were distributed in 2005.
Government efforts are further complemented by initiatives of the private
sector, and non-governmental, community-based and faith-based organisations
aimed at addressing the impact of HIV and AIDS on individuals and the broader
society.
Source: Department of Health
http://www.info.gov.za/faq/aids.htm
Enquiries: Themba Maseko
Cell: 083 645 0810
Issued by: Government Communications on behalf of the Office of the Deputy
President
15 September 2006
