Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe on 8 October 2013, chaired the ordinary meeting of the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) in Rustenburg. The meeting discussed a range of issues, including a report on the implementation of the National Strategic Plan (NSP) 2012–2016, plans for this year’s World AIDS Day commemoration and SANAC governance matters.
The meeting noted progress towards meeting the 10 Global targets set by the United Nations, in particular, Millennium Development Goal number 6 to reduce HIV infections by 50% by 2015.
South Africa’s anti-retroviral treatment programme now reaches more than two million people, making it the largest HIV treatment programme in the world. South Africa is also on track to achieve the target of further reduction and eventual elimination of HIV transmission from mother to child by 2015. The transmission rate is now 2.7%, down from 8% in 2008.
The meeting agreed to intensify interventions in the area of prevention of new infections.
The SANAC Secretariat informed the meeting that South Africa has received R3 billion from the Global Fund to support the country’s HIV and TB programmes. The fund will provide support in the following areas:
- Antiretroviral treatment for 350,000 patients
- Adherence support programmes for almost 500,000 patients
- HIV testing for more than one million people, including people living in rural areas and in farms
- Full screening for TB of all inmates in 258 correctional services facilities
- Screening for more than 400,000 miners and communities in the surrounding areas
- Prevention and referral services for 33,000 sex workers in all nine provinces
- Prevention and referral services for 150,000 men who have sex with men
- Care and support for more than 40,000 orphans
- Medical male circumcision for 94,500 men
There was consensus that efforts to strengthen SANAC governance structures must be intensified, in particular the Provincial Councils on AIDS, including the provision of technical support, where necessary.
After the meeting, Motlanthe visited the Tapologo HIV and AIDS centre, a hospice facility providing treatment, care, prevention and palliative care and support for people living with HIV.