Government is to take a decision on the use of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs for the treatment of HIV and Aids in the ”very near future”, Health Minister Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang announced on Tuesday.
Speaking during debate in the National Assembly on her budget vote, she said the report of the joint health and Treasury task team into the cost of various treatment options, including ARVs, would be presented to Cabinet soon.
A decision ”on this issue that has come to dominate the public debate on HIV and Aids” would then be taken, she said.
The programme to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV infection through the provision of nevirapine had also expanded. There were now more than 650 service points participating in this programme.
The latest HIV prevalence survey — the 13th undertaken at antenatal clinics — confirmed that the rate of infection had stabilised, but not yet declined overall.
”However, for the fourth year in a row we are seeing a small drop in the levels of infection among our teenagers,” she said.
”When it comes to treatment, three absolutely critical factors are good health infrastructure, adequate numbers of knowledgeable health workers and the availability of affordable medicines.
”This remains true, to varying degrees, whether or not the element of antiretroviral drug therapy becomes part of the treatment programme.”
The year ahead would also see strong advocacy initiatives on tuberculosis, she said.
The facts were that TB was curable even in the face of HIV infection, treatment was free and available at most public clinics, and failure to complete the six-month course of treatment was a major problem that contributed to the spread of drug resistant strains of TB which were extremely hard to cure.
”TB — no less than HIV and Aids — requires strong social partnerships, and we intend to build these in the year ahead.
”The fact of the matter is that TB is on the increase, and last year alone there were about 200 000 cases countrywide.
”The cure rate is well below our intended target of 85%. Only two out of three patients complete their treatment.”
Hunger was a factor in the interruption of TB treatment. In South Africa, where vast numbers lived below the breadline, nutrition had to become an essential part of the treatment.
Another major focus this year would be the promotion of counselling and voluntary HIV testing, Tshabalala-Msimang said.
In other news, the minister commented on South Africa’s medical brain-drain, saying the actual number of well-trained health professionals leaving the country is less dramatic than media reports suggest.
Speaking during debate on her budget vote in the National Assembly, she said it was the abrupt nature of these departures that caused great destabilisation. – Sapa