Cape Town pursuing Aids infections reduction
The city is encouraged by the number of people presenting for HIV counselling and testing at public health facilities in the city, mayoral committee member for health Siyabulela Mamkeli said on Sunday.
Between 2009 and 2014, the number of people getting tested more than doubled, from 400,000 to 800,000.
“When stigma dies, people with HIV/Aids live because it means they are accessing crucial treatment and medication to manage their health without fear of being labelled or cast aside,” Mamkeli said.
In addition to the increasing number of tests, the number of people on anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment at city health facilities continued to grow – from just under 17,000 in 2010 to nearly 47,000 in June 2015, with nearly one-third receiving their medication through the ARV club system.
“The system sees stable patients report directly to the club room at their appointed facility where their symptoms are checked and pre-packed ARV medication is handed out. After an initial pilot by Doctors Without Borders (MSF), City Health, in partnership with the Western Cape government’s department of health and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, started rolling out ARV clubs in 2011.”
Medical interventions had also resulted in a much higher number of HIV positive mothers being able to safely breastfeed without the pre-existing risk of transmission of HIV, resulting in healthier babies. City clinics started phasing out the routine supply of free infant formula to HIV positive mothers earlier this year, Mamkeli said.
“There is no doubt that we have a good news story to tell. There have been tremendous strides on a number of fronts. HIV/Aids is no longer the death sentence it once was and through partnerships with various organisations we have managed to make adhering to treatment much more manageable. That means more people stay on their ARVs and improve their chances of leading a normal life.”
One area of concern remained the number of men getting tested, particularly older men. Statistics indicated that men accounted for only 33 percent of all HIV tests in the public sector.
“Far too many myths around HIV/Aids still persist. The disease can only be spread through unprotected sex, sometimes from mother to child during pregnancy and breast-feeding, and occasionally through HIV-infected blood entering the body (through, for example, sharing needles with drug use). I appeal to the public to get tested once a year.
“A positive diagnosis is not the end of the world: anti-retroviral treatment is effective and has changed the lives of millions of people around the world. The more we talk about it and the more people who know their status, the better our chances of reducing the impact of HIV/Aids on our health system,” Mamkeli said