Health e News
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In the space of five years, the Western Cape has set up prevention of mother-to-child treatment sites throughout the province as well as providing antiretroviral treatment on a limited basis. Health-e asked the head of the AIDS Programme in the Western Cape, Dr. Fareed Abdullah to share the lessons they’€™ve learned over the past 10 years.
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The national treatment plan for HIV and AIDS offers a new opportunity to dispel some of the myths about the virus and to educate people about the epidemic and how best to take care of themselves. The development of this vital communications campaign is already under way.
Government’€™s HIV and AIDS Care and Treatment Plan is not only about making antiretrovirals available in the public health sector for the first time. The programme also includes a strong focus on nutrition and traditional medicines. Health-e News Service asked Dr Nono Simelela, co-ordinator of the Plan, how the three components come together in the programme.
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In the 10 years since our first democratic election in 1994, the HIV prevalence rate among pregnant women has risen from 7.6 percent to 26.5 percent. Ignorance, fear and prejudice have defined the reponse to HIV/AIDS in many countries and South Africa has been no different. However, a key organisation that has emerged to defend the rights of people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS is the Treatment Action Campaign. Health-e looks at how activists have risen to the challenge.
A major hurdle in the path towards the implementation of a national HIV and AIDS Care and Treatment Plan has been cleared. At a parliamentary briefing on Monday, the Minister of Health, Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, announced that tenders for drug procurement in preparation for the roll-out of the Plan are to be advertised this Friday, (13/02/04).
A major hurdle in the path towards the implementation of a national HIV and AIDS Care and Treatment Plan has been cleared. At a parliamentary briefing on Monday, the Minister of Health, Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, announced that tenders for drug procurement in preparation for the roll-out of the Plan are to be advertised this Friday, (13/02/04).
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Pressure is mounting on government to honour its promise to roll out an HIV and AIDS Care and Treatment Plan. The plan had aimed to have 53 000 patients on treatment by the end of March 2004, however, it is clear this deadline won’t be met. Health-e News Service finds out why.
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Results from a recent survey by the South African Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS (SABCOHA) and the Bureau for Economic Research show that most companies have failed to respond to the epidemic. Only a quarter of the 1006 companies surveyed have implemented a workplace policy on HIV/AIDS, and even less have a Voluntary Counselling and Testing programme, or provide care, treatment and support for infected workers.
Why do South African consumers pay so much for prescription drugs? Health-e News Service follows the money and explains exactly who pockets what in the profit chain.
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To a great extent old people have been left out of AIDS education, but a project in Khayelitsha is changing this. Stanley Mcengwa is 65- years old and one of the peer educators who teaches the elderly about HIV/AIDS. He says at first he was scared of HIV/AIDS but he has learnt that HIV is just like any other disease.
About 120 old-age pensioners from Khayelitsha are trying to help their children, grandchildren and communities to better understand HIV and AIDS. The pensioners are trained by the organization, Neighbourhood Old Age Homes (NOAH), in a pilot project that enables senior citizens to take messages of prevention and care to their households and onto the streets. Health-e spoke to some of the grandmothers at the NOAH centre in Khayelitsha.
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The South African National Defence Force this week launched Project Phidisa, a programme aimed at providing treatment, including anti-retrovirals, to army members known to be ill with AIDS-defining conditions. The service will also extend to their families.