However, one year into the plan the districts is already lagging behind as it has not reached many of   the targets that it set itself in 2012.

The district exceeded its own target with the distribution of male condoms by reaching 18.1 percent in stead of the targeted 12 percent – Msukaligwa municipality contributed 10.4 percent to the 18.1 percent. Msukaligwa municipality distributed 114 400 male condoms and 3 379 female condoms.

Medical male circumcision also forms part of the prevention strategy and 6 743 males were medically circumcised in the district ‘€“ 1 232 were from the Msukaligwa municipality.

Patients presenting with STIs are treated with their partners, and the STI partner treatment rate in the district is 34.3 percent, and 15.3 percent in the Msukaligwa municipality.

The district had a target of 100 percent for antenatal care patients initiated on Zidovudine (AZT) and it reached 82.6 percent while Msukaligwa reached 63 percent, and the Nevirapine (NVP) uptake rate among antenatal care clients was 79.5 percent in the district and 54.1 percent in this municipality, while the target to reach was also 100 percent.

‘€œThe district has not reached its targets on antenatal care due to the poor implementation of the PMTCT guidelines, and a shortage of health promoters and transport also contributed,’€ said a member of the local HIV/AIDS, STI and TB (HAST) unit.

The number of new Pulmonary Tuberculosis cases reported in the district was 1 319 and the local municipality of Msukaligwa it was 87.

The target of baby PCR test around six weeks was 100 percent but the district only managed to reach 98.6 percent and 91.6 percent in the local municipality.

Senamile Phungula in an OurHealth Citizen Journalist reporting from the Gert Sibande health district in Mpumalanga.