The Free State HIV/AIDS Unit has restructured recently, and now has a Care and Support sub-directorate, headed by Ms. L Nomtshongwana. The provincial home-based care and voluntary counselling and testing coordinators will report to Ms. Nomtshongwana. Her contact details are telephone (051) 403-3856 and fax (051) 403-3851. Congratulations to her in this new post.
HIV/AIDS Research in the Western Cape boosted by R16 million in Grants from Secure the Future TM
Medical research institutions in the Western Cape are set to benefit from two study grants totalling R16-million. The grants, handed over at a function at the Red Cross Children's Hospital on 18 June 2002 form part of the Secure The Future TM programme - Bristol-Myers Squibb's US$115-million commitment towards finding innovative, replicable and sustainable, solutions to address HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa.
One of the grants, equalling R13.3-million, will fund a randomised clinical trial designed to determine and evaluate the optimum treatment duration for tuberculosis (TB) in HIV-infected children. The research, to be undertaken as a joint initiative between the Universities of Cape Town and Stellenbosch will also seek to assess the effect that TB has on the natural history of HIV-infection.
Professor Greg Hussey, principal investigator of the joint programme said: "The study will be invaluable in helping to identify how best we can improve the microbiological diagnosis of TB in HIV-infected children. At the same time, we hope to determine whether children with dual infections are able to develop effective anti-mycobacterial immunity against the disease."
Dr Heloise Buys accepted a grant of R2.7-million on behalf of UCT to fund a research programme to be conducted in partnership with Tygerberg, Groote Schuur and Red Cross Hospitals. The purpose of the study is to establish the role of vitamin and mineral supplementation in reducing morbidity in HIV-infected children.
"The funding of these two additional research interventions is another step closer towards improving the overall understanding and treatment of HIV/AIDS", maintains Dr Grimwood, Director of Secure The Future's TM HIV Research Institute.
"Allocating medical grants to support innovative, therapeutic research by local scientists and doctors will substantially increase South Africa's capacity to manage the debilitating epidemic," said Dr Grimwood. According to Dr Grimwood the Secure The Future TM programme has to date invested more than R10-million in HIV/AIDS related research projects in the Western Cape.
Secure The Future™ began as a five-year, $100 million commitment to southern Africa: South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Swaziland. On 14 March 2001 Bristol-Myers Squibb pledged an additional $15 million for four countries in western Africa: Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali and Burkina Faso.
More information on Secure the Future TM can be found at www.securethefuture.com
Extracts from Minister's press release, 10 June 2002
The Department of Health (DOH) has been doing national HIV and syphilis sero-prevalence surveys annually since 1990. The survey is conducted during October each year, among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics for the first time during the current pregnancy at selected public sector facilities. These cross-sectional sentinel surveys are used by the DOH as a surveillance and monitoring tool for HIV and syphilis prevalence trends among public ANC attendees, showing changes over time and the geographical distribution of HIV and syphilis infections among antenatal care attendees in South Africa.
Survey Findings
The main findings of the survey indicate that HIV infection in South Africa continues to be at different stages as shown by the provincial variations.
Nationally, HIV prevalence among pregnant women is estimated at 24.8% in 2001, as compared to 24.5% in 2000. Although we see a slight increase, statistically this increase is not significant, and we can confidently say that the prevalence rate has stabilised.
From the 2001 survey, we see a notable decrease in HIV prevalence in KwaZulu-Natal at 33.5% in 2001, compared to 36.2% in 2000. Four provinces, namely Free State, North West, Limpopo and Northern Cape show some increases in HIV prevalence among pregnant women between 2000 and 2001. Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Western Cape show non-significant increases in prevalence.
It is encouraging to see that HIV prevalence among teenagers has dropped for the third consecutive year. We have seen a 5.6 % decrease in the prevalence of HIV amongst pregnant women under the age of 20. We can attribute this positive outcome to the hard work that has been put into prevention campaigns aimed at encouraging safe sexual behaviour amongst the youth. These findings underscore the correctness of our prevention centred and youth focused response to the spread of HIV.
We are intensifying these interventions with the aim of sustaining these gains into early adulthood and beyond. We hope this will enable us to address the increase in HIV prevalence in older women. HIV prevalence increased significantly among women in their thirties. Pregnant women in their late twenties show the highest infection rate at 31.4%.
In terms of syphilis prevalence, very encouraging findings have emerged from the 2001 survey. Syphilis prevalence among pregnant women in South Africa is at its lowest level ever (2.8%), and a remarkable decline has been observed in almost every provinces.
Our projections of HIV prevalence to the general South African population estimate that 4.74 million people were HIV positive by the end of 2001.
Although these results are encouraging, it does not mean that we should rest on our laurels. The battle is far from over, and indications are that we should intensify our efforts particularly among women over the age of 20 years. A closer look at variations in the provinces will assist us in implementing more strategic interventions in order to curb the spread of HIV infection.
Our second-generation surveillance, which includes behavioural surveillance, HIV incidence measures and expanded STI surveillance, will be key to our interventions. These surveillance systems are being implemented and data will soon be available for some of the areas to support the antenatal survey in expanding ours understanding of the epidemiology of HIV in South Africa.
To view the report, visit http://196.36.153.56/doh/aids/index.html
USEFUL WEBSITES
www.health.gov.za
www.aidsinfo.co.za/new
www.aidsdirectory.co.za
www.dpp.org.za
www.hst.org.za
www.lovelife.org.za
www.childaidsservices.org
www.equinetafrica.org
www.unaids.org
You are also encouraged to share information on other useful websites. Feedback on the Department of Health website would be especially valuable.
Compiled by Celicia M Serenata
Deputy Director: HIV/AIDS and STDs
Tel: (012) 312-0128
Fax: (012) 326-2891
e-mail: serenc@health.gov.za
Red Ribbon Resource Centre
For all requests of HIV/AIDS materials (posters etc.), please contact:
Tel: (011) 880-0405
Fax: (011) 880-8552
Address List for Chief Directorate
Fax: (012) 326-2891 or (012) 323-7323
Dr. Nono Simelela
Chief Director: HIV/AIDS and TB
Tel: (012) 312-0121
simeln@health.gov.za
Collen Bonnecwe
Director: HIV/AIDS (NGOs)
Tel: (012) 312-0137
bonnec@health.gov.za
Thami Skenjana
Director: GAAP
Tel: (012) 312-0133
Fax: (012) 325-0165
Dr. Refiloe Matji
Director: TB
Tel: (012) 312-0106
Fax: (012) 326-4365
matjir@health.gov.za
Dr. Rose Mulumba
Director: HIV/AIDS and STIs
mulumr@health.gov.za