Aids-related deaths in South Africa: I 854 629 at noon on Wednesday July 26 2006
Weak healthcare systems and a shortage of healthcare workers are undermining efforts to deliver antiretroviral drugs to Africa, Kevin de Cock, director of the HIV/Aids Department at the World Health Organisation (WHO), said last week.
Africa has a shortage of one million healthcare workers, and health care infrastructures on the continent over the past 20 to 25 years have collapsed. In addition, Africa has ‘labs that don’t work, supply chains that don’t exist and diagnostics that are missing,” De Cock said, adding that ‘it is obvious that the elephant in the room is not the price of drugs”.
According to De Cock, some of the most important challenges are sustaining the commitment to provide access to anti-retrovirals and generating political dedication to strengthen healthcare systems.
The WHO in the coming years will focus on broadening HIV testing and counselling; enhancing prevention efforts; boosting access to treatment; strengthening healthcare systems; and increasing funding for surveillance, monitoring and research.
The WHO plans to launch a new healthcare workers’ initiative next month at the XVI International Aids Conference in Toronto. The programme, called ‘Treat, Train and Retain”, will seek to tackle the problems of retaining healthcare workers in Africa.
Source: Kaisernetwork.org