Much progress is being made in revamping the South African National Aids Council (Sanac) and boosting the fight against HIV/Aids, government communications (GCIS) head Themba Maseko said on Thursday.
The revised comprehensive plan to combat and manage HIV/Aids is now being finalised, he told journalists after Cabinet’s fortnightly Wednesday meeting.
Cabinet had received a progress report on the initiative led by Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka to revive and strengthen the partnership against HIV/Aids through Sanac, he said.
A series of meetings were held with a number of organisations, including the National Association of People Living With Aids (Napwa) and the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), to discuss the challenges in the fight against the pandemic and other opportunistic diseases, such as tuberculosis (TB).
”Cabinet welcomed the fact that significant progress was made in this regard as parties agreed that the only way we can defeat the pandemic is through cooperation,” Maseko said.
Cabinet also resolved that in addition to dealing with the HIV/Aids pandemic, sight should not be lost of the other health challenges facing the country, such as TB and other opportunistic diseases.
In this regard, the Department of Health will engage interested parties to coordinate other efforts to deal with the latest strain of drug-resistant TB.
A Sanac workshop will be held on October 31 to discuss ways to make the body stronger, effective and more representative of all stakeholders.
Cabinet had also approved the composition of the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on HIV/Aids.
Its members will be the Deputy President (chairperson) and the ministers of health, social development, agriculture and land affairs, education, provincial and local government, the Presidency, public service and administration, labour, arts and culture, transport, correctional services, minerals and energy, foreign affairs and public works, while the GCIS will also be represented.
The IMC will be supported by a technical committee of directors general of the respective departments.
The IMC has already met twice in October and will meet at least once a month in future, but also on an urgent basis as matters arise, Maseko said.
Cabinet announced extensive plans in September to resuscitate Sanac and manage government interaction with the various stakeholders to strengthen the partnership against HIV/Aids. — Sapa