NSP targets not only government targets – Mseleku

Addressing the parliamentary media in Cape Town as part of a briefing by the social cluster, Mseleku said it was important to take a few steps back when addressing the NSP targets.

‘€œWe need to look at whose targets are they? The NSP was not drawn up by Government, but all stakeholders. The targets are ambitious and must be, but there is also agreement that we need to work together to achieve these targets,’€ said Mseleku.

He added that the department was committed to ‘€œwork in a manner agreed, through the SA National AIDS Council’€.

Mseleku’€™s comments came in the wake of a demand by AIDS activists that government ensure the targets are met by the end of the year.

The DG confirmed that 300 000 people were accessing ARVs in the public sector, but was unable to say how many patients were complying with their treatment.

‘€œOur impression is that not many people are not staying on treatment,’€ he said, adding that there was concern over the growing need to move people to second-line drug regimens as resistance increased (due to patients being on the first line regimen for a long time).

Mseleku said second-line regimens would cost 500% more.

Essop Pahad, Minister in the Presidency who chaired the social cluster briefing in the absence of the ministers of health and social development, said the review of the current state of poverty in South Africa was expected to be completed by March next year while the Anti-Poverty Framework was currently being developed.

Pahad said ward based actions were being initiated to verify indigent registers and the current package of support provided to identified families.

Indigent households are being registered with the Expanded Public Works Programme and municipalities to work on projects for a guaranteed number of days per year.

Efforts were also being made to strengthen the National Health Information System by training and appointing 2300 unemployed matriculants.

The number of NGOs funded for supporting the implementation of health programmes including the response to HIV, AIDS and TB will be increased.

Several projects have been established as part of Household Food Production Programme to improve the food security amongst the most food insecure and vulnerable communities.

More than R1, 9 million was disbursed to 89 farmers between April and June 2007 as part of the farmer support programme.  

On ARV treatment, the cumulative total of patients who started ARV treatment was estimated at 300, 000 as at the end of June 2007.

A total of 342 facilities have been accredited to implement this treatment including 10 Correctional and 7 SANDF Centres.

Pahad said lack of adequate health professionals still remained a key challenge to both the Departments of Health and Correctional Services in expanding the number of sites.

Efforts were underway to open nursing colleges at, amongst others, Dora Nginza Campus in the Eastern Cape, Bona Lesedi at Leratong Hospital and the Coronation Nursing College at the Chris Hani Baragwanath – Gauteng province. Three new campuses were established at Madadeni, Prince Mshiyeni and Port Shepstone in KwaZulu-Natal for a four-year nursing diploma.    

Pahad revealed that Cabinet had also agreed for an amount of R105 million to be made available for the 2008/2009 financial year to accelerate the training of Family Social Workers at professional and auxiliary levels with at least 3000 Social Auxiliary Workers being trained in the current year.  

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