World Aids Day 2005 | Western Cape Government

Speech

News

World Aids Day 2005

30 November 2005
HIV and Aids is one of the biggest social, economic and health challenges in the world today but even more so in SA and in our Province. It is a global emergency claiming about 8 000 lives every day - 5 people die of Aids every minute. This year alone over 3 million people acquired HIV, which means there are now over 40 million people living with HIV and AIDS worldwide.

South Africa joins the rest of the world today in commemorating World Aids Day. This year the theme is "A nation caring together for life". This theme reflects the International call on the world to focus on the socio-economic impact of HIV and Aids. The hardships caused by this pandemic on families and communities are very visible amongst our communities. The impact and pressure of HIV and Aids on government services and households has become more evident in recent times.

We in the Western Cape have had a long run-up to this day and have been an integral part of "A nation caring together for life". This includes our joint efforts across the different sectors of our society on prevention, treatment and care & support for PLWHA.

This caring includes encouraging people to make use of our VCT services. VCT utilisation during the last quarter varied considerably between different communities, but the sad statistic is that there are still people who refuse VCT.

VCT services are offered in all clinics and CHC's in the province. In Khayelitsha 8 003 people were offered testing (representing an annualized coverage of 13% of all adults >15 yrs of age) during the quarter.

In Mitchell's Plain 4 470 people were offered testing (representing an annualised coverage of 6% of all adults >15 yrs of age) during the quarter. Antenatal Coverage and Acceptance rates for VCT are encouraging and tend to range at our school-going youth at 94 high schools across the province. There will be 2950 trained junior peer educators, and 1300 trained senior peer educators, and 600 secondary school educators trained in loveLifestyle by the end of the school year.

We must not forget that through proper treatment and the use of antiretroviral treatment (ARV's) many people are now able to halt or delay the damage caused by HIV.

Studies have shown that there are about 22 500 people in the Western Cape with AIDS in 2005, and that this figure will increase to approximately 45 000 by 2010. By September this year 11 814 patients were on ARV treatment which was 2069 more than during the previous quarter. By December we expect 13 300 patients to be on ARV treatment - up 1820 on the previous quarter.

By the year 2010 we estimate to have 40 000 on treatment, but we hope to have reduced the quarterly growth to about 800 new patients.

Waar staan ons vandag? In die Wes-Kaap sal meer as 13 300 mense teen Kersfees vanjaar op behandeling wees by 41 behandelings punte. Die behandelingspunte is geografies strategies geplaas in hospitale and primere gesondheidsentrums, om die hele provinsie te dek tot sover as Vredendal, Beaufort-Wes en Knysna.

Ons uiteindelike doelwit is om al die 22 500 mense wat tans behandeling nodig het, te bereik. Dit verg die uitbreiding van ons behandelingsnetwerk dwarsdeur die provinsie. Ons behandel dus reeds meer as 60% van die pasiente wat dit benodig. 'n Positiewe aspek is dat die medikasie vir behandeling baie goedkoper is vandag (gemiddeld R240 per maand vir eerste linie behandeling vir volwassenes) as wat dit was aan die begin van die program.

Capacity building is important. We have to expand our facilities, and I am happy to be able to report that our existing number of 41 facilities will be increased to 49 sites by March 2007 financial year. This will enable us to increase our antiretroviral roll-out from 13 300 to 24 441 patients by March 2007.

We have a very successful Prevention of Mother-to-Child transmission (pMTCT) treatment programme in the country. At 100% of our PHC facilities the pMTCT programme is offered. At present 85% of all pregnant women are tested. A full course of therapy (AZT/Nevirapine) is provided to 85% of all HIV positive pregnant women. Follow-up tests of babies indicate a success rate of 81%. The goal is to reduce mother to child transmission to less than 7,5% this year and less than 5% next year.

We have a clear picture of where the parameters of the challenge lie. We have sound programmes in place, we have set our goals, but at the same time we are painfully aware that the goal posts continue to move. I am saying that it is all very well to be aware of the challenge and to contain its crippling effects on all walks of our society, but we need to make significant inroads into the further spread of HIV and this can only be done through prevention. How do we prevent getting the HIV virus and if we do get it, how do we prevent spreading it?

We have six major objectives in this regard:

  • To expand VCT uptake amongst our communities through greater access at more conveniently placed VCT service points in the communities
  • To improve safer sexual practices amongst our communities (to delay the first sexual contact, to decrease the number of sexual partners and to increase the use of condoms
  • To improve the detection and treatment of all sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
  • To improve our pMTCT programme in order to reduce the transmission of HIV to babies to less than 5 %
  • To launch a clear and visible communication campaign amongst all the communities of the Western Cape
  • To expand specifically targeted behaviour change programmes such as the school based peer education programme among youth (driven by the Education Department).

Reducing HIV growth rates will never be possible if it does not involve a major preventative action, fought on all fronts across all our sectors of our society. We need to break the stigma surrounding HIV and AIDS. It needs a change in the mind-set of our communities who live with HIV and AIDS all around us and often within our own families.

We need to reject rape and abuse of women. We need to develop a society where it is unthinkable to use violence against women and children. A society ehere the most horrendous rapes and murders take place - outside and inside our homes - is a sick society.

To heal this kind of sickness we need to re-establish the moral fabric of society. We need consensual sex and the use of condoms to be the norm. We need to promote single partner standards. In short, we need to change our sexual behaviour. This is the message which must be told to our youth over and over again.

This is what "A nation caring together for life" is all about. It is not just caring for our own lives, but also for those of others. The Khomanani campaign strives to encourage action in the face of HIV and AIDS. We, as a government, can deliver. It is our duty as politicians to mobilise the support of our people to help deliver.

Issued by:
The Directorate Communications
Office of the Superintendent of Health, Western Cape
Department of Health

Faiza Steyn
Director: Communication
021 483 3235

Herman van der Westhuizen
Media Liaison Officer to the Minister of Health
+27 483 2627

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