Cabinet calls for support
CABINET has called on all communities to support, care and accept people living with HIV and Aids.
Minister in the Presidency responsible for Performance, Monitoring and Evaluation, Jeff Radebe, has highlighted that South Africa has made great progress in working towards reaching the goals of the National Strategic Plan for HIV and Aids, TB and STIs 2012 – 2016.
“Unfortunately, stigma and discrimination continues to affect the successful implementation of this strategy and has contributed to a lower uptake of HIV preventative services,” Minister Radebe said during a post-Cabinet briefing in Cape Town recently.
He also urged all South Africans to practise safe sex; get tested for HIV at least once a year so as to make informed decisions on preventative measures, treatment, care and support; and for men and boys to take up medical male circumcision services.
Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is the chairperson of South African National Aids Council (SANAC), will mark World Aids Day today at Virginia, Lejweleputswa in the Free State province, according to South African Government News Agency SAnews.
The day will be commemorated under the theme “Zero Stigma and Discrimination”.
Ramaphosa says South Africa has the ability and resolve to overcome the challenge of the HIV/Aids epidemic.
The Deputy President says South Africa has dedicated health providers who have been at the coal face of the epidemic for many years.
He was speaking during the plenary session of the South African National Aids Council (SANAC) in Secunda, Mpumalanga.
According to the Progress Report on the National Strategic Plan for HIV, TB, and STIs (known as the NSP) there are 6.4-million South Africans living with HIV.
The report said the HIV incidence in the 15-49 age group has decreased from 1.79 percent in 2008 to 1.47 percent in 2012.
Deputy President Ramaphosa says the country has reached the half-way mark in implementing the NSP 20122016, which outlines how South Africa will respond to the prevention and treatment of HIV and Aids, TB and STIs.
"We have reached the halfway mark in the implementation of this plan and we will be conducting a midterm review of its implementation.
"The findings will help us identify gaps in our current approach. They will allow us to collectively determine what more needs to be done to ensure that we achieve the goals set out in the National Strategic Plan," said Ramaphosa.
He said government had set a goal of zero new HIV infections, zero deaths, zero infants born with HIV and zero stigma.
"We share the vision of a society in which all may enjoy good health and live a long life. I am confident that we can achieve these goals. We share the vision of an HIV-free generation," Deputy President Ramaphosa said.
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has announced that next year HIV patients would receive antiretroviral treatment (ART) when their CD4 count was less than 500.
"From the beginning of January we must move over to 500 and we must prepare for that, everybody must get psychologically ready for that to happen," he said.
According to Minister Motsoaledi, HIV patients are currently put on ART when they have a CD4 count of 350.
The Progress Report on the NSP says by the end of 2013 about 2,3-million patients were on ART in the public sector and 148 331 were children. Furthermore, an estimated 250 000 patients were on ART in the private sector at this time.