Date: 07/09/2003
Source: North West Provincial Government
Title: Sefularo: Summit of the North West Council on AIDS
SPEECH BY THE NORTH WEST HEALTH MEC, DR MOLEFI SEFULARO, ON THE OCCASION OF THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL ON AIDS SUMMIT AND INAUGURATION OF NEW MEMBERS, Rustenburg, 7 September 2003
Greetings
Today marks the culmination of a three-day self-introspection session. An important process in the sense that it enabled us to assess how far we have gone with our collective efforts to combat the scourge of HIV/AIDS. In particular the role of this pool of stakeholders who form the backbone of our social movement committed to the fight against the pandemic.
Since its establishment by the Health Minister in 2000, the Provincial Council on AIDS has been one of those vehicles in which we drive our programmes of consolidating the gains of our democracy. A solid and firm foundation has been laid. Ours is to continue on these tracks and build a truly developmental state committed to the ideals of democracy.
Together with your good-selves, and the people of the province, we managed since 2000 to sustain and position accordingly this structure. We also jointly ensured that the PCA become a focused and dedicated advocacy body committed to the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we are also gathered here today to inaugurate the new members of our Provincial Council on AIDS and to pay tribute to those leaving office.
There are indeed visible changes
Just under two years and eleven months, our people can now proudly stand up and say, we have a body, which is vigilant and committed to serve. We have a body that support us, a body that cares.
Since 2000, we are witnessing an ever-increasing partnership blessed and supported by our able pool of volunteers, care groups, Baruti, traditional leaders and our councillors. All these changes are being further propelled by the recent developments.
Recent Developments for Change
* Vaccine Development Initiatives
In June this year the Medicines Control Council approved the first human clinical trial for an HIV vaccine in South Africa. The phase one trials, aimed only at assessing safety, will be carried out on up to 48 volunteers at two sites. Other parallel test will be carried out at four trial sites in the United States. The trials would assess the AlphaVax replicon Vector (ArV) candidate vaccine, a technology that used artificial virus-like particles containing parts of a gene from a South African HIV strain, to deliver the vaccine to the immune system.
This would be a world-first trial of the ArV technology on humans, and also the first aimed at the C clade of the virus, the most common in Southern Africa. The goal of the test would be to confirm that the vaccine did not produce significant side-effects on the volunteers, who should all be healthy, HIV-negative individuals. They would be monitored over a 12-month period.
We welcome this history making scientific achievement from the African continent. We will continue to give all these initiatives our necessary support.
* ARV - Part of our enhanced treatment package
Last month Cabinet adopt measures to enhance government's HIV/AIDS programme, which includes the provision of antiretroviral drugs in public health facilities. This well thought-out decision reaffirms government's commitment to respond in a comprehensive and sustainable manner to the epidemic.
The decision, which follows an extensive and wide-ranging process of investigation, is consistent with the approach taken since the ANC took office in 1994.
The ANC and this government in particular have always maintained that the fight against HIV/AIDS must be taken up across a broad range of fronts and addressed in a comprehensive way, guided by the best available scientific information and within the resources available to the country.
* National Task Team - Provincial Visit
Immediately after their establishment by the National Minister, the National Task Team on ARV rollout visited our province to consult with both the political and administrative leadership, assess our capacity in terms of systems, human resource and training needs. Key to the visit was the determination of which facility in the North West will be used as the Provincial Training Centre.
The Task Team found most of our secondary level facilities ready for the rollout. We are expecting to start with Klerksdorp/Tshepong hospital, which was found to be the readiest, and roll to Mafikeng, Rustenburg and Vryburg/Taung hospitals. We are confident that the people of our province will soon begin to receive the benefits of Cabinet's decision.
What came out clear from that visit, and what government has been consistently saying, was that the ARV programme cannot be divorced from the overall context of a comprehensive treatment package.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it is important to note that of the total 48 million people in South Africa, 44 million are negative and only 4 million are positive. Of these people, 0,5% are at an AIDS stage. What these figures indicate is that our biggest challenge as a country is to keep the 44 million which are negative, negative forever, and treat the remaining numbers vigorously. We are still calling for our ABC approach and other methods of prevention like VCT and PMCT. In a province, where the estimates indicate that about 50 000 people have reached the AIDS stage, all these interventions are key to our survival.
We must also keep in mind that ARV treatment is a very complex and difficult process fraught with complications and side effects. This is a life-long treatment, which everybody taking it should be aware of.
This enhanced response has been made possible now by a decrease in drug prices, availability of budgetary resources, growing body of knowledge on this issue and your continued support, courage and determination.
* Traditional medicine
The use of traditional medicines in the fight against HIV/AIDS has also came under serious scrutiny. At the recent conference on the use of traditional medicine in the fight against AIDS, delegates unanimously agreed on the need to further engage on this matter and also made a recognition that traditional medicine are crucial and key in our comprehensive treatment package.
We also witnessed recently the launch of the National Reference Centre for African Traditional Medicines in Pretoria. The launch coincided with the celebration of the first African traditional medicines day, which was 31 August 2003.
The centre is expected to serve as a database on African traditional medicines and strives to promote patents and intellectual property rights in the field of traditional medicines. It will also promote research and standardisation of products based on medicinal plants.
The centre will be jointly run by the National Health Department, the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
* World Trade Organisation Agreements to boost Least Developed Countries participation in services negotiations
The Special Session of the Council for Trade in Services recently adopted modalities for the special treatment for least developed countries (LDC). Part of these agreements relate to accesses of drugs by LDC, patenting, regulation and intellectual property registration of indigenous medicines I referred to earlier. Key to this were the developments in relation to the reduction of the general costs of drugs, particularly preventative drugs.
All these developments indicate that the tide is turning in our scientific quest to search for the cure. What is also interesting and highly welcomed is the fact that all these initiatives are driven by a strong desire to have a South African solution.
A people's Contract and Partnership is taking shape
Taking cue from its founding provisions, the PCA became a true multisectoral entity bringing together, the youth, religious bodies, traditional leaders and healers, business, women and the disabled under a single, revolutionary movement committed to change.
We are very much encouraged by the increasing numbers of stakeholders participating in the work of the PCA. Ours in the province has been a vigilant and robust council, mobilising communities and the nation to show care and support through doing & giving in order to live and let live.
Through the work of the PCA, we are having in almost all our communities the local AIDS Councils. These are the "parliaments" of HIV/AIDS support and care activism programmes, and the symbols of hope and partnership among our communities. We are continuing to draw courage from this dynamic relationship between the PCA and the Local AIDS Councils in the province. Our DOT supporters and Home Based Care teams that are doing so well in our communities in caring and supporting those living and affected by HIV/AIDS rely very much on these Local AIDS Councils. We are also encouraged by the establishment of the District AIDS Councils, which serve as the co-coordinating structures of all HIV/AIDS related programmes in the regions. Supported throughout by our District and Local municipalities these structures forms important organs of people's power.
There are still Challenges Ahead
We are all mindful of the enormous challenges that lie ahead. But we remain confidant that united, we can roll back the frontiers of poverty, malnutrition and HIV/AIDS. We know we cannot and must never fail. Our strength lies in our capacity to mobilise our people behind a common cause.
HIV/AIDS poses such a massive threat to humanity that we should jointly explore every possible avenue if we are to find a lasting solution. Let us never commit the mistake of assuming that certain sections of our society have nothing to contribute. In this hall today sit people of high integrity, they have been hoisting the banner of the PCA very high and holding the flames burning. I am confident that they will continue their work after this summit with renewed vigour, zest and enthusiasm. Your inputs during the past two days have assisted us to map out resolutions and intervention mechanisms that will have maximum impact.
Our presence here today is a concrete demonstration that we are committed to giving practical meaning to the partnership campaign. As President Mbeki puts it, "the simple but practical action that we take today is tomorrow's insurance for our nation". As partners against AIDS, we must continue to spread the message of hope, prevention, acceptance of people living with HIV/AIDS, care and support for those infected and affected and pool all our resources.
Message of Hope
We come from a past that never allowed South Africans to tackle common problems together. The new Provincial Council on AIDS we are inaugurating today needs to continue from what their predecessor did. They need to become a true centre for all our people to discover each other.
We are also confident that all these structures present here today will give life and action to the Provincial AIDS Council in a manner that will give all our citizens a chance to contribute and benefit. We also believe that the integrated programmes can only succeed if they are based on the collective knowledge, commitment, skills and action of our people across all sectors.
The new democratic environment has unlocked our capacity to work together towards a common goal. It has presented South Africans of all races, persuasions and backgrounds with a unique opportunity to find solutions together. It is this ability and willingness to confront problems together that continues to give us hope and courage. It is this rare capacity to set aside sectarian interests when the need arises, that makes ours a truly unique Council.
Way Forward
Provincial Council on AIDS - The way to go
With its unique status the Council became more effective and efficient in its role of coordinating, advising government and mobilising communities. You need to continue with greater speed now, programmes and campaigns that seek to popularise the PCA and its lower structures among ordinary community members. Our dynamic relationship with the ward committees, clinic committees, hospital boards and the traditional leaders remain as relevant as ever.
Central to all these tasks your overall responsibility remains the sending out to communities a positive message, a message of hope and a message of a caring collective committed to building a people's contract for a healthy nation.
Inauguration of the PCA
I would ike to take this opportunity and thank deeply everybody who participated in 1999/2000 when we battled with the establishment of the Provincial Council on AIDS. Special tribute to those who accepted the challenge to lead the Council from the front. Once more praises to our out-going PCA members.
Furthermore, I would like to officially inaugurate our new Provincial Council on AIDS. You are our ambassadors, our guiding light and our hope. Your task will also be more interesting and demanding because of the many opportunities brought about by our government support in our fight against the pandemic.
As the provincial council, we carry a huge responsibility on our shoulders. We are an embodiment of hope, a catalyst for change, and an organ of people's power.
I wish the new Provincial Council on AIDS well.
Thank you very much
Issued by North West Provincial Government
7 September 2003
Source: North West Provincial Government
Title: Sefularo: Summit of the North West Council on AIDS
SPEECH BY THE NORTH WEST HEALTH MEC, DR MOLEFI SEFULARO, ON THE OCCASION OF THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL ON AIDS SUMMIT AND INAUGURATION OF NEW MEMBERS, Rustenburg, 7 September 2003
Greetings
Today marks the culmination of a three-day self-introspection session. An important process in the sense that it enabled us to assess how far we have gone with our collective efforts to combat the scourge of HIV/AIDS. In particular the role of this pool of stakeholders who form the backbone of our social movement committed to the fight against the pandemic.
Since its establishment by the Health Minister in 2000, the Provincial Council on AIDS has been one of those vehicles in which we drive our programmes of consolidating the gains of our democracy. A solid and firm foundation has been laid. Ours is to continue on these tracks and build a truly developmental state committed to the ideals of democracy.
Together with your good-selves, and the people of the province, we managed since 2000 to sustain and position accordingly this structure. We also jointly ensured that the PCA become a focused and dedicated advocacy body committed to the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we are also gathered here today to inaugurate the new members of our Provincial Council on AIDS and to pay tribute to those leaving office.
There are indeed visible changes
Just under two years and eleven months, our people can now proudly stand up and say, we have a body, which is vigilant and committed to serve. We have a body that support us, a body that cares.
Since 2000, we are witnessing an ever-increasing partnership blessed and supported by our able pool of volunteers, care groups, Baruti, traditional leaders and our councillors. All these changes are being further propelled by the recent developments.
Recent Developments for Change
* Vaccine Development Initiatives
In June this year the Medicines Control Council approved the first human clinical trial for an HIV vaccine in South Africa. The phase one trials, aimed only at assessing safety, will be carried out on up to 48 volunteers at two sites. Other parallel test will be carried out at four trial sites in the United States. The trials would assess the AlphaVax replicon Vector (ArV) candidate vaccine, a technology that used artificial virus-like particles containing parts of a gene from a South African HIV strain, to deliver the vaccine to the immune system.
This would be a world-first trial of the ArV technology on humans, and also the first aimed at the C clade of the virus, the most common in Southern Africa. The goal of the test would be to confirm that the vaccine did not produce significant side-effects on the volunteers, who should all be healthy, HIV-negative individuals. They would be monitored over a 12-month period.
We welcome this history making scientific achievement from the African continent. We will continue to give all these initiatives our necessary support.
* ARV - Part of our enhanced treatment package
Last month Cabinet adopt measures to enhance government's HIV/AIDS programme, which includes the provision of antiretroviral drugs in public health facilities. This well thought-out decision reaffirms government's commitment to respond in a comprehensive and sustainable manner to the epidemic.
The decision, which follows an extensive and wide-ranging process of investigation, is consistent with the approach taken since the ANC took office in 1994.
The ANC and this government in particular have always maintained that the fight against HIV/AIDS must be taken up across a broad range of fronts and addressed in a comprehensive way, guided by the best available scientific information and within the resources available to the country.
* National Task Team - Provincial Visit
Immediately after their establishment by the National Minister, the National Task Team on ARV rollout visited our province to consult with both the political and administrative leadership, assess our capacity in terms of systems, human resource and training needs. Key to the visit was the determination of which facility in the North West will be used as the Provincial Training Centre.
The Task Team found most of our secondary level facilities ready for the rollout. We are expecting to start with Klerksdorp/Tshepong hospital, which was found to be the readiest, and roll to Mafikeng, Rustenburg and Vryburg/Taung hospitals. We are confident that the people of our province will soon begin to receive the benefits of Cabinet's decision.
What came out clear from that visit, and what government has been consistently saying, was that the ARV programme cannot be divorced from the overall context of a comprehensive treatment package.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it is important to note that of the total 48 million people in South Africa, 44 million are negative and only 4 million are positive. Of these people, 0,5% are at an AIDS stage. What these figures indicate is that our biggest challenge as a country is to keep the 44 million which are negative, negative forever, and treat the remaining numbers vigorously. We are still calling for our ABC approach and other methods of prevention like VCT and PMCT. In a province, where the estimates indicate that about 50 000 people have reached the AIDS stage, all these interventions are key to our survival.
We must also keep in mind that ARV treatment is a very complex and difficult process fraught with complications and side effects. This is a life-long treatment, which everybody taking it should be aware of.
This enhanced response has been made possible now by a decrease in drug prices, availability of budgetary resources, growing body of knowledge on this issue and your continued support, courage and determination.
* Traditional medicine
The use of traditional medicines in the fight against HIV/AIDS has also came under serious scrutiny. At the recent conference on the use of traditional medicine in the fight against AIDS, delegates unanimously agreed on the need to further engage on this matter and also made a recognition that traditional medicine are crucial and key in our comprehensive treatment package.
We also witnessed recently the launch of the National Reference Centre for African Traditional Medicines in Pretoria. The launch coincided with the celebration of the first African traditional medicines day, which was 31 August 2003.
The centre is expected to serve as a database on African traditional medicines and strives to promote patents and intellectual property rights in the field of traditional medicines. It will also promote research and standardisation of products based on medicinal plants.
The centre will be jointly run by the National Health Department, the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
* World Trade Organisation Agreements to boost Least Developed Countries participation in services negotiations
The Special Session of the Council for Trade in Services recently adopted modalities for the special treatment for least developed countries (LDC). Part of these agreements relate to accesses of drugs by LDC, patenting, regulation and intellectual property registration of indigenous medicines I referred to earlier. Key to this were the developments in relation to the reduction of the general costs of drugs, particularly preventative drugs.
All these developments indicate that the tide is turning in our scientific quest to search for the cure. What is also interesting and highly welcomed is the fact that all these initiatives are driven by a strong desire to have a South African solution.
A people's Contract and Partnership is taking shape
Taking cue from its founding provisions, the PCA became a true multisectoral entity bringing together, the youth, religious bodies, traditional leaders and healers, business, women and the disabled under a single, revolutionary movement committed to change.
We are very much encouraged by the increasing numbers of stakeholders participating in the work of the PCA. Ours in the province has been a vigilant and robust council, mobilising communities and the nation to show care and support through doing & giving in order to live and let live.
Through the work of the PCA, we are having in almost all our communities the local AIDS Councils. These are the "parliaments" of HIV/AIDS support and care activism programmes, and the symbols of hope and partnership among our communities. We are continuing to draw courage from this dynamic relationship between the PCA and the Local AIDS Councils in the province. Our DOT supporters and Home Based Care teams that are doing so well in our communities in caring and supporting those living and affected by HIV/AIDS rely very much on these Local AIDS Councils. We are also encouraged by the establishment of the District AIDS Councils, which serve as the co-coordinating structures of all HIV/AIDS related programmes in the regions. Supported throughout by our District and Local municipalities these structures forms important organs of people's power.
There are still Challenges Ahead
We are all mindful of the enormous challenges that lie ahead. But we remain confidant that united, we can roll back the frontiers of poverty, malnutrition and HIV/AIDS. We know we cannot and must never fail. Our strength lies in our capacity to mobilise our people behind a common cause.
HIV/AIDS poses such a massive threat to humanity that we should jointly explore every possible avenue if we are to find a lasting solution. Let us never commit the mistake of assuming that certain sections of our society have nothing to contribute. In this hall today sit people of high integrity, they have been hoisting the banner of the PCA very high and holding the flames burning. I am confident that they will continue their work after this summit with renewed vigour, zest and enthusiasm. Your inputs during the past two days have assisted us to map out resolutions and intervention mechanisms that will have maximum impact.
Our presence here today is a concrete demonstration that we are committed to giving practical meaning to the partnership campaign. As President Mbeki puts it, "the simple but practical action that we take today is tomorrow's insurance for our nation". As partners against AIDS, we must continue to spread the message of hope, prevention, acceptance of people living with HIV/AIDS, care and support for those infected and affected and pool all our resources.
Message of Hope
We come from a past that never allowed South Africans to tackle common problems together. The new Provincial Council on AIDS we are inaugurating today needs to continue from what their predecessor did. They need to become a true centre for all our people to discover each other.
We are also confident that all these structures present here today will give life and action to the Provincial AIDS Council in a manner that will give all our citizens a chance to contribute and benefit. We also believe that the integrated programmes can only succeed if they are based on the collective knowledge, commitment, skills and action of our people across all sectors.
The new democratic environment has unlocked our capacity to work together towards a common goal. It has presented South Africans of all races, persuasions and backgrounds with a unique opportunity to find solutions together. It is this ability and willingness to confront problems together that continues to give us hope and courage. It is this rare capacity to set aside sectarian interests when the need arises, that makes ours a truly unique Council.
Way Forward
Provincial Council on AIDS - The way to go
With its unique status the Council became more effective and efficient in its role of coordinating, advising government and mobilising communities. You need to continue with greater speed now, programmes and campaigns that seek to popularise the PCA and its lower structures among ordinary community members. Our dynamic relationship with the ward committees, clinic committees, hospital boards and the traditional leaders remain as relevant as ever.
Central to all these tasks your overall responsibility remains the sending out to communities a positive message, a message of hope and a message of a caring collective committed to building a people's contract for a healthy nation.
Inauguration of the PCA
I would ike to take this opportunity and thank deeply everybody who participated in 1999/2000 when we battled with the establishment of the Provincial Council on AIDS. Special tribute to those who accepted the challenge to lead the Council from the front. Once more praises to our out-going PCA members.
Furthermore, I would like to officially inaugurate our new Provincial Council on AIDS. You are our ambassadors, our guiding light and our hope. Your task will also be more interesting and demanding because of the many opportunities brought about by our government support in our fight against the pandemic.
As the provincial council, we carry a huge responsibility on our shoulders. We are an embodiment of hope, a catalyst for change, and an organ of people's power.
I wish the new Provincial Council on AIDS well.
Thank you very much
Issued by North West Provincial Government
7 September 2003
Advertisement
EMAIL THIS ARTICLE SAVE THIS ARTICLE FEEDBACK
To subscribe email subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za or click here
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here
