“I am happy to announce that the 2006 antenatal survey results show a statistically significant decrease in the prevalence of HIV amongst pregnant women who use public health facilities.
“This is mainly as a result of our continued focus on prevention as the mainstay of our response to combat HIV and lead to an HIV free society,” said Tshabalala-Msimang during her budget vote in Cape Town on Thursday.
The department and its partners have also developed the National Strategic Plan for HIV and AIDS for 2007-2011 which builds on the gains of the Strategic Plan for 2000-2005.
It aims to achieve a 50% reduction of new infections by 2011 and provide an appropriate package of treatment, care and support services.
The package of care provided for in the plan includes counselling and testing services as an entry point; healthy lifestyle interventions, including nutritional support; treatment of opportunistic infections; anti-retroviral therapy and monitoring and evaluation to assess progress and share research.
The department has also re-launched the government's HIV and AIDS communication programme, Khomanani which has been allocated R190 million for a two year period.
“This communication programme encourages responsible sexual behaviour and mobilise access to treatment, care and support services for those who are infected and affected,” she said.
During the last financial year, more than 439 million male and more than three million female condoms were distributed.
“We supported home and community based programmes in 60% of sub-districts and more than 493,000 patients with debilitating conditions received nutritional support.
Since the start of the antiretroviral treatment component of the comprehensive plan, more than 282,836 patients had been initiated on ARVs in the 335 accredited facilities by the end of March 2007.
Tuberculosis (TB) control remains a major challenge, the minister said, but some advances have been made in this regard.
“Case finding is relatively good, 89% of patients diagnosed with Pulmonary TB are started on treatment and large numbers are placed on direct observed treatment,” she said.
The department's efforts to control malaria has improved as 4,404 malaria cases were reported between June 2006 and April 2007 as compared to 11,246 cases reported for the June 2005 to April 2006.
During the same reporting period, the number of deaths decreased from 88 to 31.
The main reasons for this decline include indoor residual spraying using Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane which has now been accepted by World Health Organisation as the significant tool in malaria control after many years of South Africa's engagement on this issue.
The department has also made 'significant' gains in the hospital revitalisation program.
“We already have state-of-the art tertiary hospitals in the form of Inkosi Albert Luthuli and Pretoria Academic Hospitals and ten other hospitals have been completed in the past three financial years.
“We currently have 46 revitalisation projects with 30 already on site and 16 in the planning stages.
“We hope to complete the following hospitals during this financial year: Mamelodi Hospital in Gauteng; Worcester Hospital in the Western Cape; Rietvlei Hospital in KwaZulu-Natal; and Barkley West in Northern Cape,” the minister said.
The department has also highlighted the success of the Emergency Medical Services (EMS).
“We have developed a national EMS Plan for 2010 and we are confident that with the right levels of investment in EMS as well as in hospitals in the host cities, we will be ready for any eventuality that may occur during the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup,” she said.
The total Public Sector Health budget has increased to R59.2 billion this financial year.
This constitutes 3.05% of GDP and 11.08% of government expenses.
The bulk of the funding allocated to the national department is conditional grants which are allocated to provinces.
The budget for National Tertiary Services is R5.3 billion which reflects an increase of R100 million.
The budget for the Health Professions Training and Development Grant remained static at R1.6 billion as has the Forensic Pathology Services Grant at R551 million.
The Hospital Revitalisation Grant received an additional R200 million increasing it to R1.9 billion.
The HIV and AIDS Grant increases by R300 million and now stands at R1.9 billion.
“Whilst these increases may appear to be substantial, it needs to be considered against the backdrop of a low baseline.
“This means that given the historic under-funding of health services, increases over a short period of time will not be sufficient to deal with our backlogs.
“We need to have significant increases over a long period of time to erode the backlogs and cope with an increasing burden of disease and growing population,” the minister concluded.
Read the South African National HIV and Syphilis Prevalence Survey 2006 summary report here: http://www.doh.gov.za/docs/hivsummary-f.html
Article published courtesy of BuaNews
