Phaahla concerned at drop in HIV-positive people receiving treatment

Phaahla was speaking at the 7th national conference of Treatment Action Campaign in Johannesburg on Monday.

Phaahla said the pandemic has played a huge role in the numbers of HIV positive patients increasing as they weren't having access to their treatment.

"In terms of being on treatment and retaining on treatment is the most regressed, at some stage we were below 80 percent, I think we are now bouncing back a little bit around 83 percent, but it is still not good enough.

"We have now agreed to work very hard on our recovery plans, programs such as the 'Welcome back campaign', which is acknowledgement that in the process of the Covid-19 pandemic many people who were already tested, who have been on treatment have regressed in terms of sustaining the treatment.

"With the come back campaign is to make sure that people that have been lost to treatment can come back before we can even talk about many people who don't know their status, who still need to be reached with a message of knowing your status, coming forward to be tested, but we firstly need to get back those that were lost to come back and continue with their treatment."

Phaahla added that the health sector still has some catching up to do when it comes to prevention.

"While we have made progress, we are still slower in the progress of prevention, there are indicators that there is progress in as far as new infections, but not good enough to actually contribute very decisively.

"The numbers show that our young girls and young women are still not doing well, but the youth as a whole is still a problem, we must make sure that the use of condoms is accelerated. 

"I hope we do not forget the tried and tested slogans of ABC 'Abstain, Be faithful and use a Condom' , making sure that those affected are getting their pre-exposure prophylaxis medication."

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