Date: 22/11/2004
Title: Shilowa: Tabling of Annual HIV/AIDS Report
ADDRESS BY PREMIER MBHAZIMA SHILOWA, ON THE OCCASION OF THE TABLING OF THE ANNUAL HIV/AIDS REPORT, AT THE GAUTENG PROVINCIAL LEGISLATURE, Johannesburg
22 November 2004
Honourable Speaker and Deputy Speaker
Members of the Executive Council
Honourable members
Members of the Gauteng Aids Council
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
Today we once again present to this house a report on the progress that has been made in the implementation of the Gauteng AIDS programme. The purpose of this is to account to the members gathered here as well as to the people of the province. It also gives us an opportunity to collectively take stock of our progress in effectively responding to the HIV/AIDS epidemic so that we can more effectively address the considerable challenges that lie ahead.
We are all aware of the many lives that the pandemic continues to claim. We once again pay tribute to Gibson Kente, who recently fell to the disease. We pay tribute to him, not only as an icon of township theatre and for his wonderful contribution to our arts and culture, but also for his courage and dignity in declaring his HIV status. In this, as in many other aspects of his life, he is an inspiration to others.
The report we are tabling today is evidence of the long road we have already travelled in implementing a comprehensive, integrated and multi-sectoral strategy against HIV/AIDS based on the national strategic plan.
It points to a unity of purpose and a myriad of activities across Gauteng aimed at preventing new infections, social mobilisation and organisation, and providing effective treatment, care and support for those affected by the disease.
Today we can say that there are few sectors of our society which remain outside of the Aids response. Working hand in hand with our social partners we have taken the Gauteng AIDS programme to our schools, places of worship, workplaces big and small, communities, informal settlements, suburbs, hostels, places of entertainment, arts and culture, the airwaves and other media, sports fields, clinics, hospitals and government offices.
We have involved a wide spectrum of organised formations through the Partnership against AIDS in Gauteng.
This approach is in line with international best practice as advocated by the United Nations. This is based on the understanding that, while the health sector has a critical role to play, an effective response to Aids needs a multi-sectoral approach.
In Gauteng, we initiated a multi-sectoral and multi-departmental approach back in 1998. We have made significant progress in mainstreaming AIDS into all government business. This is overseen by the Premier’s Committee on AIDS, which comprises MECs and Heads of Departments. We have also worked to strengthen our partnership in action against HIV/AIDS through the Gauteng AIDS Council, with civil society representatives.
In 2003/4 we continued to implement the Gauteng AIDS strategy, with the following key additions:
* Strengthening the inter-sectoral response at local, municipal level;
* Ensuring greater access to poverty alleviation programmes for families affected by AIDS;
* The addition of anti-retroviral treatment (ART) to comprehensive care, bringing the strategy in line with international standards; and
* Greater emphasis on addressing the social factors driving HIV infection.
As we report on our progress in implementing the strategy, we should also focus our attention on whether these programmes are being implemented on a wide enough scale and whether they are achieving results.
In response to the question asked in the report, “are we making a difference”, we can boldly state: Together, we are making a difference. The implementation of our AIDS strategy, by government combined with our social partners, is changing the lives of the people of Gauteng for the better.
While critical challenges remain, we are making important inroads against the epidemic. There is far greater awareness and openness about the disease and discrimination and stigma are being addressed more effectively. More and more people are recognising the need to know their status so that they can optimise their health.
Growing numbers of South Africans understand the seriousness of HIV and AIDS and are prepared to do something “to make a difference”.
Due to the widespread scale of implementation of our comprehensive programme, Gauteng is well positioned to turn the tide on HIV and AIDS.
* Results with prevention of HIV are evident and measurable in surveys of HIV and behaviour;
* Knowledge and understanding are high, with over 80% of adults understanding the key issues around AIDS;
* Youth under 25 years have made significant changes in their sexual behaviour;
* According to several surveys, there is a very high condom usage in Gauteng;
* There was no overall increase in the HIV rate in the 2003 antenatal survey;
* The HIV infection rate in babies is declining due to the large-scale implementation of the programme to prevent mother to child transmission of HIV.
Preventing the spread of AIDS remains the critical cornerstone of our AIDS strategy. Key aspects of the prevention include mobilisation and awareness aimed at behaviour change. While prevention efforts address all Gauteng residents, international best practice guides us to focus prevention interventions in areas where there is a high risk of HIV infection. These special risk settings include single-sex hostels residents, commercial sex workers, long distance transport workers, gay men and prisoners. The key focus has been on peer education to change behaviour and the provision of social support and access to health services.
Through widespread social mobilisation and organisation, we are making a difference. Joint planning and coordination across provincial government departments, across three spheres of government and across civil society has been achieved. Important strides were made in strengthening AIDS programmes at a municipal level during 2003/4. Detailed situational analyses were conducted and local inter-sectoral plans were being developed.
We made a difference in the lives of 2, 2 million people in Gauteng, including those in informal settlement, hostels, peri-urban settlements and farms, who were visited at home during the mass door-to-door campaign in 2003. This involved 10 000 trained volunteers visiting 782 831 homes throughout the province to provide information and education to 2, 2 million people. Close to 50 000 people were referred to relevant local services to address their direct needs.
Together we are making a difference in the lives of young people. Research shows that youth in the 20 to 24 year age group are at highest risk, but there are indications that prevention efforts in Gauteng are yielding good results. A number of surveys show high levels of concern, good knowledge and constructive attitudes about AIDS among young people. The message on condom use is getting across to young people.
We have made AIDS a visible priority for youth in Gauteng and it forms part of the Gauteng youth strategy. A key emphasis in 2003/4 was on youth in informal settlements and in prisons.
The media and youth culture in Gauteng has strongly embraced AIDS messages and plays a key role in raising awareness among young people. Schools programmes have significant reach, with 87% of schools implementing life-skills programmes as part of the curriculum, awareness events and the provision of learning support materials. Training has been provided for more than 20 000 teachers. Awareness campaigns were also conducted at universities, technikons, nursing colleges and other educational institutions. VCT services were provided at some campuses and peer educators and counsellors were trained. Sporting and cultural events, including activities are also helping to raise AIDS awareness among youth.
We are making a difference through treatment and care
Preparation for the inclusion of anti-retroviral therapy as part of government’s plan on the comprehensive care, management and treatment of HIV and AIDS was an important aspect of our work in the 2003/4 financial year. In March this year we announced a phased rollout of ART beginning on 1 April with a target of reaching 23 public healthcare institutions in all health districts by the end of the March next 2005. I am pleased to report that we are on course in the implementation of this programme which is already making a difference in the lives of people living with AIDS and their families.
By mid-November this year, 19 facilities were providing the service and had seen and assessed 52 450 people. Of these, 6005 adults and 844 children are receiving ART. The others who came forward to take an active role in their own medical care are either being prepared for ART or do not need it.
In this regard I want to reiterate the Gauteng AIDS Council’s call to the private sector to continue to complement the role played by the public health sector. Companies which already provide ART to their employees are urged to continue to do so. Those who have yet to set up workplace AIDS programmes need to do this urgently. Do it for the wellbeing of your employees and your business, but also for the health of the country’s economy.
The smooth rollout of the ART programme to date was made possible by the strong foundations of a transformed and expanded public health system whose aim has been to provide accessible and quality health care services to the people of the province. In addition, the implementation of other HIV/AIDS initiatives such the prevention of mother to child transmission programme, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) administered to survivors of sexual assault and voluntary counselling and testing (VCT), have provided important infrastructure and capacity to implement the ART programme.
Services for comprehensive health care are accessible across Gauteng, with 202 services for voluntary counselling and testing. 100 NGOs were funded to provide home-based care and 95% of clinics provided key services such as treatment of sexually transmitted infections and TB, which are closely linked to the prevalence and management of Aids. Slow but steady progress is being made in the treatment of TB.
All of our antenatal facilities in the province incorporate PMTCT and, as the report points out, Gauteng is now implementing one of the largest PMTCT programmes in Southern Africa. In 2003/4 87 546 women accessed the service. Of these, 59 822 chose to be tested with 17 757 testing HIV positive. Anti-retroviral drugs were provided to 13 130 HIV positive mothers and 10 469 babies. While more extensive research is required, follow up has confirmed a reduction in HIV transmission from infected mothers to their babies. We are making a difference.
PEP is available at all the clinics catering for rape victims. Over 4000 people who attended medico legal clinics in 2003/4 received anti-retroviral drugs as part of the PEP programme. However, only 27% of them completed the programme, pointing to the need for further awareness on this matter.
We are making a difference through workplace AIDS programmes
Workplace AIDS programmes have the potential to reach large numbers of people and reduce the impact of AIDS on employees, their families, productivity and the economy as a whole.
Government, business and unions identify AIDS as a priority in order to sustain economic development and most large organisations have workplace AIDS policies and programmes. However experience both in government and business shows that more effort is needed to ensure practical implementation of programmes in partnership with trade unions.
An important boost in our efforts to extend AIDS strategies into the workplace has been provided through the provincial government’s collaboration with the SA Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS (Sabcoha), which is represented on the Gauteng Aids Council. The provincial government also supports joint HIV/AIDS projects with mining companies in Merafong, Westonaria and Randfontein.
Following an agreement at the GAC, preparatory work for a Workplace AIDS indaba has been undertaken, involving government, trade unions and business. This aims to facilitate the sharing of expertise between the private and public sectors on best practice interventions and effective implementation processes.
SMEs have been identified as an important focus area and several projects are underway including an HIV/AIDS toolkit for SMEs being prepared by Sabcoha, and a distance learning project by the SME publication Big News.
Within the provincial government, a survey among Gauteng health and education department employees helped to assess progress in 2003. The survey found high levels of knowledge on HIV/AIDS with mostly constructive attitudes to people living with HIV and AIDS. However, there was limited exposure to workplace AIDS interventions and access to EAP services. Employees relied on information from the media and the life-skills programmes.
The Gauteng Provincial Government has finalised a workplace AIDS strategy.
Earlier this month the provincial government hosted an EAP Indaba with about 270 people to share information and look at how to make EAP programmes more effective and the integration of HIV and AIDS into EAP programmes.
We are making a difference in addressing poverty and providing support to families and children affected by HIV and AIDS.
Over the past period, greater attention has been paid to addressing the poverty alleviation aspects of the Aids strategy, particularly in providing support for children and families affected by AIDS. However, this remains one of our biggest challenges in the long term and points to the importance of our economic development strategies to address poverty.
Children are particularly vulnerable in the effects of the epidemic. Services have been introduced to assist children who are affected by HIV and AIDS.
Important work has been done in identifying children in need and ensuring that they have access to the relevant services. During the year under review more 200,000 children were assessed and 25 000 were put on the support programme.
The provision of social grants including child support, disability and foster care grants has provided a critical social safety net, particularly for those affected by HIV and AIDS.
As part of broader poverty relief programmes, poor families affected by AIDS can also access free or subsidised government services, school feeding, food garden and donations through NGOs.
As outlined in our 2014 plan, the HIV and AIDS epidemic remains the most significant determinant of health status. The impact of HIV/AIDS will be felt in increased infant mortality rates and higher mortality of young to middle aged adults.
The report before you outlines a wide range of challenges as we continue to implement our programme in the next five years.
We need to ensure that we have the necessary strength in our public health system, but more than that, that we should continue to strengthen our multi-pronged efforts to involve every individual, every institution and every sector in a common Aids strategy.
We need to intensify our efforts to build capacity, not just in government but in other civil society groups to help ensure they are effectively equipped and resourced to effectively address the epidemic.
We also need to intensify the mainstreaming of AIDS in all our programmes, particularly integrating effective AIDS responses with other priority areas such as youth, women, children and poverty alleviation.
We need to simultaneously empower women and persuade men to take greater responsibility around HIV and AIDS.
While we are making inroads in the prevention of HIV, there is no room for complacency and we need to intensify our efforts further.
As we have said before, the majority of our people are not HIV positive and must remain so. Let us continue to prevent new infections and provide care and support to those infected and affected by HIV and AIDS. A great number of those who are HIV positive can have quality of life through healthy living and prompt treatment for opportunistic infections.
The fight against AIDS has brought to the fore some of our best qualities as a people and a nation – our resilience, our determination in the face of adversity, our ability to put our heads together to find solutions, our readiness to love and care for our fellow human beings, our willingness to stand together in times of need, our can do attitude, our unshakeable faith in the knowledge that together we are stronger than when we are alone.
Our track record on HIV and AIDS has shown that we are a society that cares, that together we can and will overcome this scourge. From within the heart of the sadness, the loss, the indignity, the pain and the despair caused by the disease there is hope and the possibility of a better life.
Finally, I want to express my sincere appreciation and thanks to all those whose efforts have made the Gauteng AIDS programme effective; to the MEC and HOD for Health and other MECs and HODs, who have helped to drive the programme in every aspect of the provincial government’s work; the Interdepartmental AIDS Unit, which has worked tirelessly to bring the programme to where it is today; the members of the Gauteng AIDS Council and other civil society partners who have taken AIDS programmes into every sphere of our society, the leadership and officials at local government level; the health workers who help all of us optimise our health status, whether we are positive or negative, the thousands of volunteers who have taken the campaign to households across the province, those who care for the sick and the dying, who support the weak and the vulnerable and who make it possible for those who have the disease to live and die with dignity;
To all those involved in the AIDS effort, the many thousands of people, many of whom are themselves poor but give their time, energy and loving care to others in greater need than themselves I say thank you.
Issued by: Office of the Premier, Gauteng Provincial Government
22 November 2004
Title: Shilowa: Tabling of Annual HIV/AIDS Report
ADDRESS BY PREMIER MBHAZIMA SHILOWA, ON THE OCCASION OF THE TABLING OF THE ANNUAL HIV/AIDS REPORT, AT THE GAUTENG PROVINCIAL LEGISLATURE, Johannesburg
22 November 2004
Honourable Speaker and Deputy Speaker
Members of the Executive Council
Honourable members
Members of the Gauteng Aids Council
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
Today we once again present to this house a report on the progress that has been made in the implementation of the Gauteng AIDS programme. The purpose of this is to account to the members gathered here as well as to the people of the province. It also gives us an opportunity to collectively take stock of our progress in effectively responding to the HIV/AIDS epidemic so that we can more effectively address the considerable challenges that lie ahead.
We are all aware of the many lives that the pandemic continues to claim. We once again pay tribute to Gibson Kente, who recently fell to the disease. We pay tribute to him, not only as an icon of township theatre and for his wonderful contribution to our arts and culture, but also for his courage and dignity in declaring his HIV status. In this, as in many other aspects of his life, he is an inspiration to others.
The report we are tabling today is evidence of the long road we have already travelled in implementing a comprehensive, integrated and multi-sectoral strategy against HIV/AIDS based on the national strategic plan.
It points to a unity of purpose and a myriad of activities across Gauteng aimed at preventing new infections, social mobilisation and organisation, and providing effective treatment, care and support for those affected by the disease.
Today we can say that there are few sectors of our society which remain outside of the Aids response. Working hand in hand with our social partners we have taken the Gauteng AIDS programme to our schools, places of worship, workplaces big and small, communities, informal settlements, suburbs, hostels, places of entertainment, arts and culture, the airwaves and other media, sports fields, clinics, hospitals and government offices.
We have involved a wide spectrum of organised formations through the Partnership against AIDS in Gauteng.
This approach is in line with international best practice as advocated by the United Nations. This is based on the understanding that, while the health sector has a critical role to play, an effective response to Aids needs a multi-sectoral approach.
In Gauteng, we initiated a multi-sectoral and multi-departmental approach back in 1998. We have made significant progress in mainstreaming AIDS into all government business. This is overseen by the Premier’s Committee on AIDS, which comprises MECs and Heads of Departments. We have also worked to strengthen our partnership in action against HIV/AIDS through the Gauteng AIDS Council, with civil society representatives.
In 2003/4 we continued to implement the Gauteng AIDS strategy, with the following key additions:
* Strengthening the inter-sectoral response at local, municipal level;
* Ensuring greater access to poverty alleviation programmes for families affected by AIDS;
* The addition of anti-retroviral treatment (ART) to comprehensive care, bringing the strategy in line with international standards; and
* Greater emphasis on addressing the social factors driving HIV infection.
As we report on our progress in implementing the strategy, we should also focus our attention on whether these programmes are being implemented on a wide enough scale and whether they are achieving results.
In response to the question asked in the report, “are we making a difference”, we can boldly state: Together, we are making a difference. The implementation of our AIDS strategy, by government combined with our social partners, is changing the lives of the people of Gauteng for the better.
While critical challenges remain, we are making important inroads against the epidemic. There is far greater awareness and openness about the disease and discrimination and stigma are being addressed more effectively. More and more people are recognising the need to know their status so that they can optimise their health.
Growing numbers of South Africans understand the seriousness of HIV and AIDS and are prepared to do something “to make a difference”.
Due to the widespread scale of implementation of our comprehensive programme, Gauteng is well positioned to turn the tide on HIV and AIDS.
* Results with prevention of HIV are evident and measurable in surveys of HIV and behaviour;
* Knowledge and understanding are high, with over 80% of adults understanding the key issues around AIDS;
* Youth under 25 years have made significant changes in their sexual behaviour;
* According to several surveys, there is a very high condom usage in Gauteng;
* There was no overall increase in the HIV rate in the 2003 antenatal survey;
* The HIV infection rate in babies is declining due to the large-scale implementation of the programme to prevent mother to child transmission of HIV.
Preventing the spread of AIDS remains the critical cornerstone of our AIDS strategy. Key aspects of the prevention include mobilisation and awareness aimed at behaviour change. While prevention efforts address all Gauteng residents, international best practice guides us to focus prevention interventions in areas where there is a high risk of HIV infection. These special risk settings include single-sex hostels residents, commercial sex workers, long distance transport workers, gay men and prisoners. The key focus has been on peer education to change behaviour and the provision of social support and access to health services.
Through widespread social mobilisation and organisation, we are making a difference. Joint planning and coordination across provincial government departments, across three spheres of government and across civil society has been achieved. Important strides were made in strengthening AIDS programmes at a municipal level during 2003/4. Detailed situational analyses were conducted and local inter-sectoral plans were being developed.
We made a difference in the lives of 2, 2 million people in Gauteng, including those in informal settlement, hostels, peri-urban settlements and farms, who were visited at home during the mass door-to-door campaign in 2003. This involved 10 000 trained volunteers visiting 782 831 homes throughout the province to provide information and education to 2, 2 million people. Close to 50 000 people were referred to relevant local services to address their direct needs.
Together we are making a difference in the lives of young people. Research shows that youth in the 20 to 24 year age group are at highest risk, but there are indications that prevention efforts in Gauteng are yielding good results. A number of surveys show high levels of concern, good knowledge and constructive attitudes about AIDS among young people. The message on condom use is getting across to young people.
We have made AIDS a visible priority for youth in Gauteng and it forms part of the Gauteng youth strategy. A key emphasis in 2003/4 was on youth in informal settlements and in prisons.
The media and youth culture in Gauteng has strongly embraced AIDS messages and plays a key role in raising awareness among young people. Schools programmes have significant reach, with 87% of schools implementing life-skills programmes as part of the curriculum, awareness events and the provision of learning support materials. Training has been provided for more than 20 000 teachers. Awareness campaigns were also conducted at universities, technikons, nursing colleges and other educational institutions. VCT services were provided at some campuses and peer educators and counsellors were trained. Sporting and cultural events, including activities are also helping to raise AIDS awareness among youth.
We are making a difference through treatment and care
Preparation for the inclusion of anti-retroviral therapy as part of government’s plan on the comprehensive care, management and treatment of HIV and AIDS was an important aspect of our work in the 2003/4 financial year. In March this year we announced a phased rollout of ART beginning on 1 April with a target of reaching 23 public healthcare institutions in all health districts by the end of the March next 2005. I am pleased to report that we are on course in the implementation of this programme which is already making a difference in the lives of people living with AIDS and their families.
By mid-November this year, 19 facilities were providing the service and had seen and assessed 52 450 people. Of these, 6005 adults and 844 children are receiving ART. The others who came forward to take an active role in their own medical care are either being prepared for ART or do not need it.
In this regard I want to reiterate the Gauteng AIDS Council’s call to the private sector to continue to complement the role played by the public health sector. Companies which already provide ART to their employees are urged to continue to do so. Those who have yet to set up workplace AIDS programmes need to do this urgently. Do it for the wellbeing of your employees and your business, but also for the health of the country’s economy.
The smooth rollout of the ART programme to date was made possible by the strong foundations of a transformed and expanded public health system whose aim has been to provide accessible and quality health care services to the people of the province. In addition, the implementation of other HIV/AIDS initiatives such the prevention of mother to child transmission programme, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) administered to survivors of sexual assault and voluntary counselling and testing (VCT), have provided important infrastructure and capacity to implement the ART programme.
Services for comprehensive health care are accessible across Gauteng, with 202 services for voluntary counselling and testing. 100 NGOs were funded to provide home-based care and 95% of clinics provided key services such as treatment of sexually transmitted infections and TB, which are closely linked to the prevalence and management of Aids. Slow but steady progress is being made in the treatment of TB.
All of our antenatal facilities in the province incorporate PMTCT and, as the report points out, Gauteng is now implementing one of the largest PMTCT programmes in Southern Africa. In 2003/4 87 546 women accessed the service. Of these, 59 822 chose to be tested with 17 757 testing HIV positive. Anti-retroviral drugs were provided to 13 130 HIV positive mothers and 10 469 babies. While more extensive research is required, follow up has confirmed a reduction in HIV transmission from infected mothers to their babies. We are making a difference.
PEP is available at all the clinics catering for rape victims. Over 4000 people who attended medico legal clinics in 2003/4 received anti-retroviral drugs as part of the PEP programme. However, only 27% of them completed the programme, pointing to the need for further awareness on this matter.
We are making a difference through workplace AIDS programmes
Workplace AIDS programmes have the potential to reach large numbers of people and reduce the impact of AIDS on employees, their families, productivity and the economy as a whole.
Government, business and unions identify AIDS as a priority in order to sustain economic development and most large organisations have workplace AIDS policies and programmes. However experience both in government and business shows that more effort is needed to ensure practical implementation of programmes in partnership with trade unions.
An important boost in our efforts to extend AIDS strategies into the workplace has been provided through the provincial government’s collaboration with the SA Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS (Sabcoha), which is represented on the Gauteng Aids Council. The provincial government also supports joint HIV/AIDS projects with mining companies in Merafong, Westonaria and Randfontein.
Following an agreement at the GAC, preparatory work for a Workplace AIDS indaba has been undertaken, involving government, trade unions and business. This aims to facilitate the sharing of expertise between the private and public sectors on best practice interventions and effective implementation processes.
SMEs have been identified as an important focus area and several projects are underway including an HIV/AIDS toolkit for SMEs being prepared by Sabcoha, and a distance learning project by the SME publication Big News.
Within the provincial government, a survey among Gauteng health and education department employees helped to assess progress in 2003. The survey found high levels of knowledge on HIV/AIDS with mostly constructive attitudes to people living with HIV and AIDS. However, there was limited exposure to workplace AIDS interventions and access to EAP services. Employees relied on information from the media and the life-skills programmes.
The Gauteng Provincial Government has finalised a workplace AIDS strategy.
Earlier this month the provincial government hosted an EAP Indaba with about 270 people to share information and look at how to make EAP programmes more effective and the integration of HIV and AIDS into EAP programmes.
We are making a difference in addressing poverty and providing support to families and children affected by HIV and AIDS.
Over the past period, greater attention has been paid to addressing the poverty alleviation aspects of the Aids strategy, particularly in providing support for children and families affected by AIDS. However, this remains one of our biggest challenges in the long term and points to the importance of our economic development strategies to address poverty.
Children are particularly vulnerable in the effects of the epidemic. Services have been introduced to assist children who are affected by HIV and AIDS.
Important work has been done in identifying children in need and ensuring that they have access to the relevant services. During the year under review more 200,000 children were assessed and 25 000 were put on the support programme.
The provision of social grants including child support, disability and foster care grants has provided a critical social safety net, particularly for those affected by HIV and AIDS.
As part of broader poverty relief programmes, poor families affected by AIDS can also access free or subsidised government services, school feeding, food garden and donations through NGOs.
As outlined in our 2014 plan, the HIV and AIDS epidemic remains the most significant determinant of health status. The impact of HIV/AIDS will be felt in increased infant mortality rates and higher mortality of young to middle aged adults.
The report before you outlines a wide range of challenges as we continue to implement our programme in the next five years.
We need to ensure that we have the necessary strength in our public health system, but more than that, that we should continue to strengthen our multi-pronged efforts to involve every individual, every institution and every sector in a common Aids strategy.
We need to intensify our efforts to build capacity, not just in government but in other civil society groups to help ensure they are effectively equipped and resourced to effectively address the epidemic.
We also need to intensify the mainstreaming of AIDS in all our programmes, particularly integrating effective AIDS responses with other priority areas such as youth, women, children and poverty alleviation.
We need to simultaneously empower women and persuade men to take greater responsibility around HIV and AIDS.
While we are making inroads in the prevention of HIV, there is no room for complacency and we need to intensify our efforts further.
As we have said before, the majority of our people are not HIV positive and must remain so. Let us continue to prevent new infections and provide care and support to those infected and affected by HIV and AIDS. A great number of those who are HIV positive can have quality of life through healthy living and prompt treatment for opportunistic infections.
The fight against AIDS has brought to the fore some of our best qualities as a people and a nation – our resilience, our determination in the face of adversity, our ability to put our heads together to find solutions, our readiness to love and care for our fellow human beings, our willingness to stand together in times of need, our can do attitude, our unshakeable faith in the knowledge that together we are stronger than when we are alone.
Our track record on HIV and AIDS has shown that we are a society that cares, that together we can and will overcome this scourge. From within the heart of the sadness, the loss, the indignity, the pain and the despair caused by the disease there is hope and the possibility of a better life.
Finally, I want to express my sincere appreciation and thanks to all those whose efforts have made the Gauteng AIDS programme effective; to the MEC and HOD for Health and other MECs and HODs, who have helped to drive the programme in every aspect of the provincial government’s work; the Interdepartmental AIDS Unit, which has worked tirelessly to bring the programme to where it is today; the members of the Gauteng AIDS Council and other civil society partners who have taken AIDS programmes into every sphere of our society, the leadership and officials at local government level; the health workers who help all of us optimise our health status, whether we are positive or negative, the thousands of volunteers who have taken the campaign to households across the province, those who care for the sick and the dying, who support the weak and the vulnerable and who make it possible for those who have the disease to live and die with dignity;
To all those involved in the AIDS effort, the many thousands of people, many of whom are themselves poor but give their time, energy and loving care to others in greater need than themselves I say thank you.
Issued by: Office of the Premier, Gauteng Provincial Government
22 November 2004
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