Anso Thom

HIV is the driving force behind South Africa’s high child death rates. Unless there is a concerted effort to put child survival strategies in place, the country faces an "unstoppable wave of child mortality", paediatricians have warned. The knock-on effects for the future of South Africa’s youth, and therefore the economy, could be dire.

The young man briefly opened his bloodshot eyes and scanned the bleak, chaotic surroundings. His muscular body shivered uncontrollably beneath the white, government-monogrammed sheet as the paramedics lifted him on to another trolley. He tried to raise his arms; his hands and forearms, thighs, chest, back and feet were wrapped in thick, white bandages.

Two HIV-positive women presented to the media in June by the Dr Rath Health Foundation as examples of how its vitamins can reverse Aids have admitted that they were on anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs all along. Meanwhile, the foundation is in the process of expanding its programme to the Eastern Cape.

The Northern Cape is not for the faint-hearted. The province comprises almost 30% of South Africa’s land mass, but is home to just 900 000 people, employment is scarce, and teenage pregnancies, alcohol abuse and poverty are the Northern Cape’s key health concerns.

Elsie Mamphoke, a tall, middle-aged woman with a mischievous glint in her eye, breaks into a huge smile as she holds up three fingers. "Yes, I tell my children to bring me three condoms at night, even if I’m not planning to use them. I want them to know I am having sex with my husband, that I am planning to have three rounds and that I will be using a condom every time."

Three critical pieces of health legislation are about to be signed into law or are being drafted for future legislation. These are the regulations relating to a transparent pricing system for medicines and scheduled substances, social health insurance and the certificate of need.