/ 15 March 2004

Gauteng to begin Aids drugs rollout

Gauteng province’s roll-out of antiretroviral drugs for HIV/Aids patients will begin on April 1, health MEC Gwen Ramokgopa said on Monday.

The province hoped to treat about 100 new cases a week, starting in five hospitals, and expanding to 23 institutions by this time next year.

The aim is to reach 10 000 people by the end of March 2005, Ramokgopa told a press conference in Johannesburg.

The treatment would be available to patients who meet clinical criteria, said Ramokgopa: ”Not everyone who is HIV positive needs antiretroviral treatment.”

The initial five hospitals providing treatment are Johannesburg Hospital, Chris Hani-Baragwanath, Helen Joseph, Coronation and Kalafong.

This is the province’s first indication that it will be able to implement the comprehensive care and treatment plan for people living with HIV/Aids approved by Cabinet in November 2003.

The original plan aimed to have 53 000 people on treatment nationwide by April this year. So far only the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal have started treatment programmes, which cater for less than 3 000 people according to Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) figures.

Ramokgopa said her department was only able to implement the plan for the 2004/05 financial year because funding was not available.

”But we did not sit back. In the mean time we trained health workers so that they would be ready to provide treatment.”

This year, R95-million was available for the programme, of which R45-million was allocated by national government.

Antiretroviral treatment, once started, must be continued, so any treatment programme must be sustainable.

However, the government tender process for the provision of antiretroviral drugs is still in its very early stages.

Ramokgopa said her department had secured other reliable sources of the necessary drugs until the tender process was complete.

Other preparatory measures include:

  • accrediting the 23 service points;

  • training doctors, nurses, and health workers;

  • advertising 187 new posts;

  • improving the capacity of laboratory services; and

  • securing a supply of nutritional supplements for people being treated.

Ramokgopa emphasised that the treatment programme was only part of the government’s national strategic plan to fight HIV and Aids.

”The majority of our people are not HIV positive and must remain so,” she said.

She called on all people and organisations to mobilise to fight the disease and prevent new infections.

Meanwhile the Democratic Alliance welcomed the announcement of the treatment programme.

”This is long overdue, but at least a firm date has been set,” said DA health spokesperson Jack Bloom. – Sapa