Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
treatment of opportunistic infections, good nutrition, prevention, counselling,
traditional medicine, and healthy lifestyles.
Part of the South african government's HIv/aIDS policy is to strengthen the
national health system to accommodate the medical needs of HIv-positive patients.
currently, there is at least one service point for HIv/aIDS-related treatment and
counselling in each of the 53 health districts across the country and a further
250 state laboratories are certified to provide support for the programme. the
relevant government department has also worked hard to attract and retain nurses,
doctors, and pharmacists, who are often lured to better working conditions and better
pay in the west. by 2006, the government had helped to recruit more than 1060
doctors specifically to support the national HIV/AIDS policy. A further 9000 had
been trained in the treatment, care, and management of HIv/aIDS (Knight 2006).
the national HIv/aIDS policy also emphasises prevention. PMtct includes
providing baby formula, counselling, and nevirapine in public clinics and hospitals.
by 2004, it was estimated that up to 78.7 percent of HIv-positive mothers received
nevirapine in public hospitals and clinics (South africa 2006). the government
forecasts that more HIV-positive mothers will receive nevirapine over the next five
years as the number of HIv-positive pregnant women at public antenatal clinics
increases. as part of the government's prevention strategy, more than 1.3 million
condoms for women and another 386 million for men were distributed free of charge
in 2006.
the government has involved the media to publicise the HIv/aIDS epidemic
and its prevention efforts. the Khomanani, the state's flagship prevention campaign,
was introduced to promote sexually responsible behaviour and reduce the number
of new HIv infections, particularly among young adults and teenagers, as well as
to stimulate action for support to vulnerable victims of the disease such as orphans
and single mothers.
as part of its holistic approach, apart from administering art and promoting
prevention strategies, the government has championed the need for a good diet
among HIV-positive patients to help fight off infections while taking AIDS-
appropriate drugs. Since april 2004, nutrient supplements have been supplied to
480 000 qualifying tuberculosis (tb) and HIv-positive patients 'as a complement to
the appropriate forms of treatment' (South africa 2008).
by 2006, the South african government's expenditure on HIv/aIDS
had reached the level of r3 billion (US$388 million), up from r30 million
(US$3.9 million) in 1994 (Knight 2006). the government has warned that for the
programme to be expanded to distribute more art and nevirapine, as well as to
sustain its public awareness campaign, more funding would be needed, particularly
from the international community and business. even though the cost of aIDS drugs
has plummeted in recent years as a result of the manufacturing of generic versions,
HIv-positive patients will need not only these drugs but also continual testing and
counselling for the rest of their lives. this is a high price to pay for South africa
and many other southern african states. the costs of treating HIv-positive patients
will increase as more and more people are being treated (see table 8-3).
 
 
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