South African AIDS NGO, Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), has dismissed claims that its dropped legal action against the health department. The department said that TAC had decided to withdraw its action for the provision of certain annexes to the government's Comprehensive Plan for Management, Care and Treatment of HIV/AIDS. TAC spokesman Mark Heywood said on Monday the group's action remained as the health department was legally bound to have an AIDS implementation plan and to make it public.
Equity and HIV/AIDS
South African AIDS group continues legal battle with government
South African babies infected with HIV in public hospitals
Agence France Presse, 17 September 2007
South African medical experts and activists on Monday warned that poor infection controls in public hospitals have caused dozens of babies to become infected with HIV. Treatment Action Campaign spokesperson Mark Heywood said he was aware of more than 40 such infections. 'The overall lack of inspection control policies, procedures, and budget means that the problem is probably more widespread,' he said. Shaheen Mehtar, head of infection prevention and control at Cape Town's Tygerberg Academic Hospital, said she personally knows of 24 infections in newborns. According to a report in the Cape Times daily newspaper, doctors blame the infections on HIV-tainted expressed breast milk being given to hospitalized babies, the re-use of syringes, and poor sterilization.
South African Health MEC wants traditional medicine in hospice
Kerry Cullinan: Health-e, 23 November 2008
KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC, Peggy Nkonyeni, is attempting to introduce traditional medicine for AIDS patients at a hospice with the help of traditional healers. The Treatment Action Campaign said African traditional healers have a role in combating HIV but they are concerned that disreputable stakeholders are included, especially those who are not traditional healers and who have caused harm with so-called ‘alternative’ remedies.
South African Hospital reduces HIV transmission rate
Flanagan L: The Mercury, 13 June 2008
A Durban hospital has cut the transmission of HIV from pregnant mothers to their babies to less than 3% with dual therapy. The study started with all 2 624 pregnant women who attended McCord's antenatal clinic during the 18 months from March 2004 to August 2005. Of these, 338 women tested HIV-positive and 302 delivered at McCord. The study assessed these babies. During their pregnancies 44% of the HIV-positive women received highly active antiretroviral treatment. Of the 297 surviving babies, 290 (98%) received the antiretroviral drug nevirapine after birth and 224 (76%) also received the antiretroviral AZT. In six cases there was no record of the baby receiving any antiretroviral treatment. Six weeks later 239 (81%) of the babies were tested seven of these (2.9%) were HIV positive. The hospital used guidelines developed from international studies for its programme. The researchers said this showed that, despite resource constraints, a state-aided hospital could achieve results which compared favourably to those in developed countries.
South African national HIV prevalence, incidence, behaviour and communication survey, 2008: The health of our children
Shisana O, Simbayi LC, Rehle T, Zungu NP, Zuma K, Ngogo N, Jooste S, Pillay-Van Wyk V, Parker W, Pezi S, Davids A, Nwanyanwu O, Dinh TH and SABSSM III Implementation Team: Human Sciences Research Council, 2010
In this report, research findings from a population-based household survey are presented on the general health status of infants, children, and adolescents in South Africa including morbidity, utilisation of health facilities, immunisation coverage, HIV status and associated risk factors. The study also investigates the exposure of children and adolescents to HIV communication programmes. Major recommendations were that the number and scope of community health workers be expanded to include high-impact but low-cost health and nutrition interventions. The report found very little exclusive breastfeeding, with 51.3% of babies on mixed feeding. The report highlighted the lack of HIV communication programmes in rural areas, and for English, Afrikaans, Tsonga and Venda speakers, recommending that future campaigns also focus more strongly on complementing school-based programmes and on children. It recommends implementing an accreditation system ‘as a matter of urgency’ to regularly monitor the quality of health facilities and to serve as a mechanism to hold managers accountable for the health outcomes of mothers and children. The report may be used by policy makers and stakeholders in targeting and prioritising key issues in planning and programming efforts focusing on the broad health issues of South African children.
South Africans hope for a new era in HIV/AIDS policies
Kapp C: The Lancet 368(9549), 1759-1760, 18-24 November 2006
The article focuses on a new era of unity and action on HIV/AIDS education and prevention in South Africa which has come about in part due to the influence of deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ncguka and Deputy Health Minister Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge on the country's AIDS policy. A discussion of the changes the two have recommended and implemented for AIDS education and prevention is presented. South Africa's plans to unveil a new strategic 5-year plan for the prevention, treatment, and care of people with HIV/AIDS on World Health Day, 1 December 2006 are discussed.
South Africa’s antiretroviral rollout stalled
Delays in the drug procurement process and lack of training for doctors are postponing the rollout of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in South Africa, the country’s government has admitted. Except for the Western Cape Province (which has set aside its own funds to buy antiretroviral drugs), the celebrated South African HIV care and treatment programme has yet to treat a single patient. Activists are beginning to question the government’s resolve to put the operational plan into action, citing statements made over the last week by Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang and President Thabo Mbeki.
South Africa’s national HIV testing campaign not showing results
Plus News: 7 September 2010
South Africa is trying to pull off the most extensive global HIV testing campaign but the ambitious initiative is facing some daunting realities. Launched in April 2010, the campaign aims to test 15 million South Africans over 12 months. But five months in, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has admitted the initiative has stalled. The government is preparing to re-launch the campaign and expand its reach to schools and workplaces. With an adult HIV prevalence of about 18%, just over one million South Africans were on antiretroviral (ARV) treatment as of May 2010, according to National Health Council data. If the campaign is successful in diagnosing more people with HIV and referring them to care, an additional 590,000 people could be eligible for treatment by April 2011, according to health department estimates. However, Mark Heywood, vice-chairman of the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC), referred to government statistics that show that between April and July 2010, about 1.7 million people were tested for HIV as part of the campaign, but, of 300,000 people who tested positive, only half were referred to any related health services. A poor referral system may also explain why, despite a surge in the uptake of voluntary counselling and HIV testing, only an additional 3,000 people were put on ARVs in the campaign's first two months.
Southern Africa assessment: food security and HIV/AIDS
Institute for Security Studies (ISS), South Africa (2005)
This publication identifies HIV/AIDS and food insecurity- particularly in the rural areas- as the two most severe and interrelated humanitarian issues currently facing southern Africa. It is argued that the current situation must be contextualised as an "entangling crisis" of climatic factors, chronic poverty, the failure of economic and political governance, and the impact of HIV/AIDS on the ability of individuals to respond independently.
Southern Africa HIV and AIDS Regional Exchange (SHARE) Research Digest, April—May 2018
Southern Africa HIV and AIDS Regional Exchange (SHARE), 2018
This digest offers article abstracts from peer-reviewed literature related to HIV and AIDS in Southern Africa and is designed to keep readers in touch with the rapidly expanding evidence base pertaining to HIV in the region. For example in this issue there are 72 abstracts published April through May 2018 that feature articles from Botswana (4), Lesotho (2), Malawi (7), Mozambique (5), South Africa (43), Swaziland (2), Tanzania (4), Zambia (2) and Zimbabwe (9). Articles include a mixed methods study on access to HIV care and treatment for migrants between Lesotho and South Africa; findings from a cross-sectional study on HIV status disclosure among postpartum women with varied intimate partner violence experiences in Zambia; and lessons learned from the ZENITH trial in Zimbabwe on the role of community health workers in improving HIV treatment outcomes in children. The articles are catered to advocates, health care providers, implementers, lay health workers, policy makers and researchers.