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Date
: 26/02/2004
Source: Western Cape Provincial Government
Title: M van Schalkwyk: Announcement of new ARV Treatment
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EXTRACT FROM REMARKS BY WESTERN CAPE PREMIER, MARTHINUS VAN
SCHALKWYK, IN MITCHELL'S PLAIN, 26 February 2004
Western Cape Boost for Aids Fight: Premier Announces 3 New ARV
Treatment Sites
Our Western Cape Government will not rest until every person who
needs treatment for HIV/Aids has access to that treatment. We know
that our doctors, our nurses and our heath-care professionals face
this virus at every turn. We understand and share their
determination to use every resource at our disposal to prevent new
infections, to treat those already infected and to win the war
against Aids in the Western Cape.
When the announcement was made on 19 November last year that the
National Cabinet had approved the comprehensive national treatment
plan, the Western Cape stood ready. Our Health Department under the
leadership of Minister Piet Meyer, stepped up our pilot treatment
projects and by World Aids Day, on 1 December, we were able to
announce that instead of the six treatment sites recommended by the
plan for the Western Cape, we would have 15 in operation by the end
of the financial year.
There are already 13 of these sites in operation: in Gugulethu,
Langa, three in Khayelitsha, Hout Bay, Mannenberg, Tygerberg,
Paarl, George, Worcester, and at Groote Schuur and the Red Cross
Children's Hospital. There are already 2000 patients on
anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment in the Western Cape.
It is my great pleasure today to announce the three new treatment
sites which will boost our fight against Aids and fulfil the
undertaking we made on World Aids Day: Mitchell's Plain, Beaufort
West, and the Hottentots Holland Hospital in Somerset West. At
least 20 new patients will commence treatment here in Mitchell's
Plain and another 20 in Beaufort West over the next six weeks, with
Hottentots Holland due to commence at the end of March.
This vital achievement has been made possible by a number of
important developments like the negotiations that have brought ARV
treatment prices to below R400/patient/month compared to more than
R10 000/patient/month just two years ago - we now have access to
the lowest priced ARV drugs in South Africa. We have also been
greatly assisted by our domestic and international partners like
Crusaid in the UK, Doctors Without Borders, and the Global Fund
Against Aids.
The most important factor however in the Western Cape's success has
been the dedication, commitment, expertise and passion of our
health-care professionals. If our province deserves praise for how
rapidly we are advancing our fight against Aids, it is they who
deserve the credit. On behalf of the people and the Government of
the Western Cape I would like to pay tribute today to their efforts
and to thank them all for their professionalism.
The problem that we face though, is a serious shortage of these
professionals in the primary health care facilities where most of
our treatment sites are situated. I would like to take this
opportunity today to call on doctors, nurses and pharmacists to
join our public health services at the level of primary care - we
need your help to ensure that our treatment programme is rolled out
even more effectively and more rapidly to our people.
Enquiries: Riaan Aucamp
Cell: 083 778 9923
Issued by: Western Cape Provincial Government
26 February 2004
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