Date: 01/12/2003
Source: Ministry of Health
Title: Tshabalala-Msimang: World AIDS Day
SPEECH BY THE MINISTER OF HEALTH, DR MANTO TSHABALALA-MSIMANG: WORLD AIDS DAY 2003, 1 December 2003
Programme Director,
Deputy President Zuma, Minister Ngubane
Premier Direko
Health MEC Tsopo and all MECs present
Mayor Mokoena of Bloemfontein
Provincial and local government leaders
Members of the South African National AIDS Council
Heads of Government Departments
Representatives of health services, schools and community organisations who face the challenge of HIV and AIDS on a daily basis
Fellow South Africans, gathered here in the stadium and listening at home
I greet you in the spirit of hope and unity that inspires millions of people in many countries across the globe to celebrate World AIDS Day each year.
We have gathered here today to pledge that we will work together, care together and stand together - shoulder to shoulder - to meet the challenge of HIV and AIDS.
We are here to say to the world that we believe in ourselves and in our own power - as a united people - to defeat one of the most terrible diseases of modern times. We do not say this lightly. We do not close our eyes to the size of the problem, to the fact that AIDS remains incurable and to the extreme poverty it brings to families. We see these things and we understand what this means to our nation as a whole.
But we are not helpless. We know how to prevent HIV infection. We have medicines and services to manage the illnesses associated with AIDS, to assist the body to fight infection and to prolong life. And, although we are not a rich nation, we have ways to relieve the worst effects of poverty. We often read headlines in the newspapers telling us how many people will die of AIDS in the next few years, how many children will be left as orphans and how the average lifespan of South Africans will be shortened. These stories usually present the worst picture - they tell us what will happen if we sit back and do nothing. We should take these stories as a warning and a challenge - and we should do everything in our power to ensure that their predictions do not come true.
The first thing is to recognise that every individual has a part to play. We are all affected by HIV and AIDS and we must take our individual responsibility seriously, whether we are HIV-positive or HIV-negative. About 90% of South Africans - that is, nine out of every 10 -- are fortunate enough to be HIV-negative. If you fall into this group, you can ensure that you remain free of HIV.
There is also a large group of South Africans - more than five million - that are HIV-positive. The majority are not aware they have HIV because the virus is not yet making them sick. The only way to be sure is to take an HIV-test.
For many years Government has preached the ABC of safer sex. We still strongly believe that prevention is by far the best option and we will continue to promote it at every opportunity. But, from today, you will also hear us preach about VCT - voluntary counselling and testing for HIV. We all need to be sure of our HIV-status in order to take the right action. In recent years we have come to understand HIV and AIDS much better. We may not be able to cure it - but we do know successful ways of managing it. And the earlier we start, the better. In 2004, Government will be expanding the sites where you can get a free HIV test -- but only you can to take the test.
The third area of individual responsibility is providing love and support for family members and friends who are HIV-infected or ill with AIDS. No government and no organisation can replace the love and care of a mother, a father, a lover, a child, a brother, a sister or a good friend. If someone close to you is living with HIV or AIDS, only you can overcome your own pain, fear and prejudices to give them the precious gift of love.
The second effective weapon in our war on HIV and AIDS is unity. Individual actions are important, but we can do even more when we join forces and work together. It is through joint action that we will be able to care for the sick people in our community and ensure that their children have food, clothing and the guidance of adults. It is through joint action that we can ensure that our women and children are protected from sexual violence and abuse. It is through our communities that we can teach our children to respect themselves and protect their future.
We have a proud history of mobilisation since the Partnership against AIDS was launched five years ago. But the need for care, support and medical treatment is growing steadily, and it is a real challenge to keep pace. We must join hands to achieve the best possible care we can manage. We must join forces to put the brakes more sharply on the rate of infection.
Another essential weapon in our campaign to overcome HIV and AIDS is expertise - the knowledge and the skills of experts. HIV and AIDS - and the closely related disease of tuberculosis - are not only medical problems. They need to be tackled on many fronts by people from different occupational and community groups. But I would like to take a few minutes to focus on the importance of health care workers.
Firstly I would like to pay tribute to all health professionals including community health workers who have held the frontline in our confrontation with HIV and AIDS. Many have learned new skills - counselling, HIV testing, advising on nutrition or organising home care systems - to deal with this illness that still has no cure.
I would like to use this important day to salute you. I am also saying that we will be expecting more of you in future than ever before. In line with Cabinet's recent decision we are starting with the implementation of the Plan for Comprehensive HIV and AIDS Care, Management and Treatment.
This is a broad plan that retains prevention as a mainstay of our response and puts added emphasis of nutrition and poverty alleviation and includes a number of treatment options - from the use of traditional medicines to the provision of anti-retroviral drugs to those who have reached an advanced stage of AIDS. People are going to be given choices in terms of the treatment option they prefer.
We recognise that many of our people are taking traditional medicines. Through the Medical Research Council, we are doing research to ensure that people use medicines that are effective and of good quality. We also want to ensure that the owners of those traditional medicines that bring benefit to people with AIDS get protection in terms of their right to intellectual property.
When it comes to anti-retroviral therapy, we need our health workers to make a special effort to understand these drugs and get the right training to handle them. These are powerful drugs that are taken every day for the rest of the patient's life and there are risks that come with using them. If not taken properly and carefully monitored, they can have a toxic effect. If misused they can also contribute to the development of new strains of HIV that are resistant to available medicine. Drug resistant will pose a serious public health threat and require much more resources to manage.
The Plan seek to address some of the challenges that have faced us over many year with regard to the provision of ARV treatment. Substantial amounts of its budget go towards strengthening the health system - recruiting and training more health workers, improving drug procurement and distribution system, strengthening our laboratory services and improving information and monitoring systems.
The plan therefore allows us to strengthen our health system at the same time that we begin to offer the treatment. We know that this will not be easy - that it will demand a great effort from our health professionals to make this work. We are appealing, as government, for a renewed professional commitment to serving in hospitals and clinics in our outlying areas. We want to appeal to our doctors in the private sector to stick to the protocols for ARV use. As Government we have put a quality plan in place and we believe patients in the private sector deserve an equally responsible approach to ARVs.
The last weapon I would like to mention this morning is the weapon of values. The AIDS challenge demands that we put people and community activity right back at the centre of our lives. The times demand action, they demand involvement - we cannot afford too much relaxation.
And so we come to the theme for this World AIDS Day: "Khomanani - Caring Together". By using this theme we wanted to remind people in a few simple words of all the things I have spoken about today.
In the two-week campaign leading up to this day we have been encouraging people to take that first step to becoming part of the national HIV and AIDS effort by making a donation of clothing, food or cash that will be used to help children in critical need of care.
Our partners in this effort to mobilise assistance are the Red Cross and Pick n Pay and Score supermarkets. We thank them for caring enough to get involved at this hectic time of year. Donations have been pouring into stores around the country. Because of the strength of the response in the last few days, we will be keeping collection points open for another week, until Sunday, 7 December.
If you have not given yet, please use this extra time. Before the end of December, all the clothing, money and food donated will be distributed to organisations - mostly in rural areas - that have come into existence to answer the cry for help from families affected by HIV and AIDS.
I would like to end my talk by highlighting the precious work that many organisations are doing to keep hope alive and to bring comfort to thousands who are poor, ill or left without parents. Most of these organisations are not known beyond their own communities. The people who have formed them did not do so because they wanted fame or praise. They did this because they felt they could not fold their arms and leave others to suffer. They did this because they sensed in themselves the power to relieve suffering, to shine the light of hope and to help guarantee the future of their communities.
This World AIDS Day, under the banner of Khomanani, we are celebrating the power of our people to care, the power of our people to make a difference, the power of our people to safeguard the future. Let us build this power, let us care together.
Amandla!
Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang
Minister of Health
Issued by: Ministry of Health, 1 December 2003
Source: SAPA
Source: Ministry of Health
Title: Tshabalala-Msimang: World AIDS Day
SPEECH BY THE MINISTER OF HEALTH, DR MANTO TSHABALALA-MSIMANG: WORLD AIDS DAY 2003, 1 December 2003
Programme Director,
Deputy President Zuma, Minister Ngubane
Premier Direko
Health MEC Tsopo and all MECs present
Mayor Mokoena of Bloemfontein
Provincial and local government leaders
Members of the South African National AIDS Council
Heads of Government Departments
Representatives of health services, schools and community organisations who face the challenge of HIV and AIDS on a daily basis
Fellow South Africans, gathered here in the stadium and listening at home
I greet you in the spirit of hope and unity that inspires millions of people in many countries across the globe to celebrate World AIDS Day each year.
We have gathered here today to pledge that we will work together, care together and stand together - shoulder to shoulder - to meet the challenge of HIV and AIDS.
We are here to say to the world that we believe in ourselves and in our own power - as a united people - to defeat one of the most terrible diseases of modern times. We do not say this lightly. We do not close our eyes to the size of the problem, to the fact that AIDS remains incurable and to the extreme poverty it brings to families. We see these things and we understand what this means to our nation as a whole.
But we are not helpless. We know how to prevent HIV infection. We have medicines and services to manage the illnesses associated with AIDS, to assist the body to fight infection and to prolong life. And, although we are not a rich nation, we have ways to relieve the worst effects of poverty. We often read headlines in the newspapers telling us how many people will die of AIDS in the next few years, how many children will be left as orphans and how the average lifespan of South Africans will be shortened. These stories usually present the worst picture - they tell us what will happen if we sit back and do nothing. We should take these stories as a warning and a challenge - and we should do everything in our power to ensure that their predictions do not come true.
The first thing is to recognise that every individual has a part to play. We are all affected by HIV and AIDS and we must take our individual responsibility seriously, whether we are HIV-positive or HIV-negative. About 90% of South Africans - that is, nine out of every 10 -- are fortunate enough to be HIV-negative. If you fall into this group, you can ensure that you remain free of HIV.
There is also a large group of South Africans - more than five million - that are HIV-positive. The majority are not aware they have HIV because the virus is not yet making them sick. The only way to be sure is to take an HIV-test.
For many years Government has preached the ABC of safer sex. We still strongly believe that prevention is by far the best option and we will continue to promote it at every opportunity. But, from today, you will also hear us preach about VCT - voluntary counselling and testing for HIV. We all need to be sure of our HIV-status in order to take the right action. In recent years we have come to understand HIV and AIDS much better. We may not be able to cure it - but we do know successful ways of managing it. And the earlier we start, the better. In 2004, Government will be expanding the sites where you can get a free HIV test -- but only you can to take the test.
The third area of individual responsibility is providing love and support for family members and friends who are HIV-infected or ill with AIDS. No government and no organisation can replace the love and care of a mother, a father, a lover, a child, a brother, a sister or a good friend. If someone close to you is living with HIV or AIDS, only you can overcome your own pain, fear and prejudices to give them the precious gift of love.
The second effective weapon in our war on HIV and AIDS is unity. Individual actions are important, but we can do even more when we join forces and work together. It is through joint action that we will be able to care for the sick people in our community and ensure that their children have food, clothing and the guidance of adults. It is through joint action that we can ensure that our women and children are protected from sexual violence and abuse. It is through our communities that we can teach our children to respect themselves and protect their future.
We have a proud history of mobilisation since the Partnership against AIDS was launched five years ago. But the need for care, support and medical treatment is growing steadily, and it is a real challenge to keep pace. We must join hands to achieve the best possible care we can manage. We must join forces to put the brakes more sharply on the rate of infection.
Another essential weapon in our campaign to overcome HIV and AIDS is expertise - the knowledge and the skills of experts. HIV and AIDS - and the closely related disease of tuberculosis - are not only medical problems. They need to be tackled on many fronts by people from different occupational and community groups. But I would like to take a few minutes to focus on the importance of health care workers.
Firstly I would like to pay tribute to all health professionals including community health workers who have held the frontline in our confrontation with HIV and AIDS. Many have learned new skills - counselling, HIV testing, advising on nutrition or organising home care systems - to deal with this illness that still has no cure.
I would like to use this important day to salute you. I am also saying that we will be expecting more of you in future than ever before. In line with Cabinet's recent decision we are starting with the implementation of the Plan for Comprehensive HIV and AIDS Care, Management and Treatment.
This is a broad plan that retains prevention as a mainstay of our response and puts added emphasis of nutrition and poverty alleviation and includes a number of treatment options - from the use of traditional medicines to the provision of anti-retroviral drugs to those who have reached an advanced stage of AIDS. People are going to be given choices in terms of the treatment option they prefer.
We recognise that many of our people are taking traditional medicines. Through the Medical Research Council, we are doing research to ensure that people use medicines that are effective and of good quality. We also want to ensure that the owners of those traditional medicines that bring benefit to people with AIDS get protection in terms of their right to intellectual property.
When it comes to anti-retroviral therapy, we need our health workers to make a special effort to understand these drugs and get the right training to handle them. These are powerful drugs that are taken every day for the rest of the patient's life and there are risks that come with using them. If not taken properly and carefully monitored, they can have a toxic effect. If misused they can also contribute to the development of new strains of HIV that are resistant to available medicine. Drug resistant will pose a serious public health threat and require much more resources to manage.
The Plan seek to address some of the challenges that have faced us over many year with regard to the provision of ARV treatment. Substantial amounts of its budget go towards strengthening the health system - recruiting and training more health workers, improving drug procurement and distribution system, strengthening our laboratory services and improving information and monitoring systems.
The plan therefore allows us to strengthen our health system at the same time that we begin to offer the treatment. We know that this will not be easy - that it will demand a great effort from our health professionals to make this work. We are appealing, as government, for a renewed professional commitment to serving in hospitals and clinics in our outlying areas. We want to appeal to our doctors in the private sector to stick to the protocols for ARV use. As Government we have put a quality plan in place and we believe patients in the private sector deserve an equally responsible approach to ARVs.
The last weapon I would like to mention this morning is the weapon of values. The AIDS challenge demands that we put people and community activity right back at the centre of our lives. The times demand action, they demand involvement - we cannot afford too much relaxation.
And so we come to the theme for this World AIDS Day: "Khomanani - Caring Together". By using this theme we wanted to remind people in a few simple words of all the things I have spoken about today.
In the two-week campaign leading up to this day we have been encouraging people to take that first step to becoming part of the national HIV and AIDS effort by making a donation of clothing, food or cash that will be used to help children in critical need of care.
Our partners in this effort to mobilise assistance are the Red Cross and Pick n Pay and Score supermarkets. We thank them for caring enough to get involved at this hectic time of year. Donations have been pouring into stores around the country. Because of the strength of the response in the last few days, we will be keeping collection points open for another week, until Sunday, 7 December.
If you have not given yet, please use this extra time. Before the end of December, all the clothing, money and food donated will be distributed to organisations - mostly in rural areas - that have come into existence to answer the cry for help from families affected by HIV and AIDS.
I would like to end my talk by highlighting the precious work that many organisations are doing to keep hope alive and to bring comfort to thousands who are poor, ill or left without parents. Most of these organisations are not known beyond their own communities. The people who have formed them did not do so because they wanted fame or praise. They did this because they felt they could not fold their arms and leave others to suffer. They did this because they sensed in themselves the power to relieve suffering, to shine the light of hope and to help guarantee the future of their communities.
This World AIDS Day, under the banner of Khomanani, we are celebrating the power of our people to care, the power of our people to make a difference, the power of our people to safeguard the future. Let us build this power, let us care together.
Amandla!
Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang
Minister of Health
Issued by: Ministry of Health, 1 December 2003
Source: SAPA
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