Transcript

DR. ABDULLAH: We have had successes and some failures. I think the most important thing is that as we speak the Western Cape has a comprehensive AIDS programme which is implemented in a wide scale throughout the province. We have counseling and testing, we have neviropine or AZT for pregnant women. We have anti-retroviral treatment at many sites and then we have a very good treatment programme with the schools based programme, condoms, treatment of sexual transmitted diseases. This is a large programme it reaches the whole province. I think from that point of view the Western Cape has made great strides.   I think our weakness has been, we haven’€™t really been able to limit the epidemic to a low prevalence rate and over the last 10 years. Since 1994 the prevalence rate of HIV among women attending anti natal facilities has increased from 1 percent to 12 percent. Without our interventions it would have been higher but I think we could have kept it in a lower level.

Translation: Sibene neziphumo ezihle nezimbi kodwa okubalulekileyo kukuba iNtshona Koloni inenkqubo engaguqngqiyo kagawulayo nefumaneka kweliphondo liphela. Sinikezela ngeengcebiso nohlolo, sine neviropine ne AZT (yoomama abakhulelweyo nabantwana). Sikwanizela ngezithomalalisi kugawulayo kumaziko amanzinzi, kwakhona siphinde sibe nekqubo ebonelela izikolo ngonyango, izingxobo zokwabelana nonyango kwizifo zangaphantsi ezasulelayo. Lenkqubo ibanzi yaye iNtshona Koloni yenze umsebenzi omhle kodwa ke kukhona apho sisilele khona nalapho singakwazanga ukunciphisa inani lokwasuleleka kuleminyaka ilishumi. Ukususela ngonyaka ka 1994 izinga losuleleko loomama abakhulelweyo eNtshona Koloni beliyi pesenti enye kodwa ngoku limi kwii pesenti ezili-12. Noko kunjalo ukuba sasingangenelelanga singurhulumente ngekuththwukuba inani sele landa ukudlula eli nqanaba.

THANDEKA: Ingaba ke yintoni bebenokuyenza ukugququla isimo?

Translation: What could have changed the situation?

DR. ABDULLAH: Prevention is very difficult to do, but I think we should have invested more resources earlier especially in the first few years after 1994 and maybe started even earlier we might have had better results. We could have certainly started our schools programme a bit earlier we could have dealt with youth in the more systematic manner in which we are doing now and we are continuing to do now. A lot of NGO’€™s, local governments and provincial staff have really worked very hard for 10 years on the AIDS programme and that has largely has led to more successes than failures.

Translation: Ukunqanda usuleleko kunzima kodwa ndicinga ukuba kwakufuneka ukuba sizinikezele ngokupheleleyo kwiminyaka yokuqala emva ko 1994 ngoku ngesineziphumo ezihle. Ukuba sasiqale ngethuba neenkqubo zezikolo ngesilufundise lukhulu ulutsha neyinto esiyenzayo ngoku nesisa qhubeka ukuyenza. Kungentsebenziswano phakathi kwemibutho engekho phantsi kukarhulumente, amasebe karhulumente asekhaya, nee-ofisi zengingqi nabasebenzi bazo nabathe bazinikezela kuleminyaka ilishumi kwiinkqubo ze HIV nento eyenze lempumelelo ingaka kuneempazamo.

THANDEKA: UGqirha Abdullah uthi babona kuyimfuneko ukuba baqale ngeenkqubo zika gawulayo kwiminyaka ka 1997 no1998 emva kokubona ukuba usuleleko kugawulayo luya luqatsela kweleNtshona Koloni ukusuka kwi pesenti enye ukuya kwezine.

Translation: Dr. Abdullah, says they saw a need to start with AIDS awareness programmes between 1997 and 1998 after they noticed an increase of HIV/AIDS infections in the Western Cape from 1 percent to 4 percent between 1994 and 1998.

DR. ABDULLAH: We really started taking it (AIDS) very seriously in 1997, 1998 and remember as far back as 1999 we started our treatment programme with AZT in Khayelitsha so at least five years of treatment has been place in the Western Cape.

We started planning in 1998 and on the first of January in 1999 we started treating pregnant women with AZT. It was the first time that we were using these drugs we didn’€™t know the drugs so well but the scientific evidence was very good in favour of treatment and our policies have proven to be the correct one to have taken. We’€™ve learnt a lot about treatment now, we know so much about treatment and we have improved our treatment regiments the way in which we do treatment. The way in which we select our patients and I’€™m glad to say that lots of this experience and information has been shared with the national government and the provinces and the large part of it is been incorporated into the national government policy.  

Translation: Saye saqala ukuthatha ingqalelo kugawulayo kwiminyaka ka 1997 no 1998. Khumbula ukusukela ngo 1999 siqale inkqubo yonyango lwe AZT eKhayelitsha sel kuyiminyaka emihlanu saqala kweleNtshona Koloni. Siqale ngokumisela isisekelo nog 1998 ngeomhla wokuqala kuJanuary ka 1999 saqal ukunikezela nge AZT koomama abakhulelweyo. Elo yalilityeli lokuqala sinikezela ngalamachiza yaye sasingazi nto tu kodwa ke icandelo leengcaphephe zaza nophando oluchaza ukuba lamachiza anokusetyenziswa. Ngoku sele sifundile okuninzi ngalamachiza yaye sesikwazi nokuhlela sikhethe ukuba ngubani omele ukufumana lamachiza njani. Yaye ngoku umsebeszni wethu sele ufundise namanye amaphondo yaye norhulumente sele ewuvavanyile.

THANDEKA: Ingaba ke yintoni uFareed ayibona njengempuelelo kwinkqubo yabo kagawulayo.

Translation: What does Fareed Abdullah see as the key to success in their AIDS progrmme?

DR. ABDULLAH: I think two factors have played a role; one is that we have senior managers responsible for AIDS and a senior management team. Secondly we have a dedicated budget from the provincial government for AIDS, which is in addition to the money we get from the national government. I think it has also helped that that we have had a clear plan and we have known where we want to go and we have stuck to the plan and not change it all the time.

Translation: Ndicinga ukuba zimbini ezona nto ziye zadlala indima ephambili kukuba sinabantu abajongene ngogawulayo kubalawuli yaye sikwane ofisi ejongene nogawulayo. Okwesibini, sinemali esiyifumana kurhulumente wethu wephondo siphinde songezwe ngurhulumente kazwe lonke. Enye into kukuba siye sathi thaca umqulu ongahexiyo ngogawulayo nalapho singakhange sibuye mva kumaxesha amanzini.

[Duration:  4min 13sec]

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