Slashing HIV infection rate next frontier

While South Africa has made commendable progress in providing access to treatment for people with HIV, focus must be placed on reducing the rate of new infections.

“As we mark World Aids Day 2016, we are indeed facing an HIV infection emergency,” the Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday.

Addressing the main World Aids Day commemoration at Sinaba stadium in Daveyton, Deputy President Ramaphosa said while 3.7 million people are on antiretroviral treatment, there is an alarming spike in HIV infection.

“As we applaud our remarkable achievements in expanding antiretroviral treatment to more than 3.7 million people, as we celebrate the dramatic reduction of mother to child transmission of HIV, as we welcome the marked increase in average life expectancy, we must be alarmed that the rate of new HIV infection remains stubbornly high,” he said.

Last year, an estimated 266 000 South Africans became infected with HIV. Each week, there are about 2 000 new HIV infections in adolescent girls and young women aged 15 to 24 years.

Deputy President Ramaphosa warned that unless the country acts now to reduce new infections, gains made in the struggle against Aids will be eroded.

“Unless we act now to reduce new HIV infections, the health and lives of millions more South Africans will be put at risk. Unless we act now to reduce new HIV infections, millions more will be vulnerable to tuberculosis. Unless we act now to reduce new HIV infections, we will struggle to sustain our antiretroviral treatment programme,” he said.

If South Africa doesn’t work to reduce the infection rate, many young lives will be lost, the Deputy President said.

Deputy President Ramaphosa, who prior to his main address received a Memorandum of Understanding from the Treatment Action Campaign, said he is well aware that young women often find themselves in desperate situations.

These young women need not feel alone and should seek help and support from parents, grandparents and health workers, among others.

Dialogue

At a dialogue session with young girls earlier today, the Deputy President commended six girls for talking about the challenges they experience, including pregnancy and the issue of a lack of sanitary pads.

“We want sex education not only in school, but we also want parents at home to educate their children on sex. Sex education must be spread out in the school curriculum at schools,” he said at the dialogue.

He said the youth must feel empowered to abstain from sex until they are ready. In addition, young people must have the confidence to insist on using condoms.

“They must have the confidence to say: one condom one round,” said the Deputy President, adding that Max condoms (government issued) have become popular.

At a dialogue with young women, the Deputy President commended activist Grizelda Grootboom for sharing her story of being sex slave with the girls.

“I would like to applaud you for having stepped up and as well as overcoming [the challenges you faced].  You’re a woman of great determination and you are role model for the young women who are here,” he said.

Reaching out to men

The Deputy President urged men to get tested for HIV and for them go on treatment as soon as they are diagnosed HIV positive.

“We must challenge the unequal power relations between men and women, particularly older men and younger women.”

The Deputy President also spoke out about the victimisation of vulnerable groups like sex workers and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex (LGBTI) community.

“We must stand up for the rights of all people to information, support, health and dignity.”

Vaccine

Government also welcomed the ground-breaking HIV vaccine trial that was recently launched.

“We must find hope in the scientific advances in treatment, prevention and vaccine research.

“We welcome in particular the ground-breaking new HIV vaccine trial that has just been launched in this country, and applaud the South African scientists who are leading this critical research,” said the Deputy President.