United in the fight against HIV and AIDS
When we look back on the year that was, as public servants we can reflect on many developments within government that make us proud to carry out its work.
Among the many strides we've made, none can be more significant than our collective efforts to fight the scourge of HIV and AIDS.
Recently Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, in collaboration with a number of international organisations and agencies, reached a ground-breaking pricing agreement that will fast-track the availability of the first affordable, generic, single-pill HIV treatment regimen containing dolutegravir.
The large volume of antiretrovirals purchased by South Africa was used to leverage the decrease in pricing.
The new fixed-dose combination will be available to low- and middle-income countries at a reduced price of US$75 per person, per year.
Not only is the new regimen projected to save South Africa more than R11 billion over the next six years, it will also have significant benefits for patients.
Dolutegravir is a highly effective antiretroviral, which is well tolerated by patients and has fewer side effects. As a result, patients are more likely to be adherent and virally suppressed – which means that they are not likely to transmit the virus to others.
This pricing agreement is proof of what can be achieved when we work together to put the needs of people first.
Government is also intensifying efforts to deal with the challenges of HIV,TB and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).
Earlier this year Chairperson of the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC), Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, launched the country's National Strategic Plan (NSP) for HIV,TB and STIs 2017-2022.
The NSP is a roadmap for united action to take South Africa's HIV,TB and STI response to a new level and put us firmly on the path to overcoming these major public health challenges.
One of the NSP's goals is to accelerate prevention to reduce new HIV and TB infections and STIs.
Government efforts to tackle HIV and AIDS has seen the HIV programme grow from 923 000 patients on treatment in 2009 to 3.9 million patients by the end of August 2017.
Despite this progress, more needs to be done, particularly in reducing the number of new infections.
The NSP sets a target to reduce new HIV infections by more than 60 percent from an estimated
270 000 in 2016 to below 100 000 by 2022.
Government and all sectors of society represented in the SANAC are providing leadership to ensure that we successfully implement the NSP and achieve the goals it sets out.
On an individual level, we can contribute by refusing to be part of the stigmatisation and discrimination against people living with HIV and TB and speak out against it.
We also need to take responsibility for our health and future and check our HIV status regularly.
It is equally important to get screened for TB if you have a cough that does not go away or if you know someone who has TB.
As a country we commemorated World AIDS Day on 1 December under the theme:“It is my right to know my status, prevention is my responsibility”.
It's time we all took responsibility and played our role in dealing with one of the biggest health challenges facing our country.