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The Young Communist League of South African [uFasimba] would like to join all South Africans and the world in earmarking the World Aids Day as it dawns tomorrow (1st December).
The extent to which the prevalence of HIV-AIDS in our country and the globe has posed serious threat to humanity requires concerted effort by governments, civil society and the private sector to take the fight against this lethal endemic to new heights.
In support of the ANC’s decision for the establishment of the state-owned pharmaceutical company, we would like to reiterate our clarion call that government should then embark on implementing this resolution without further delay. With this decision implemented, we will witness a step forward by government against the comodification of medicine by the profit-driven private pharmaceutical companies whose sole mission is to monopolise the pharmaceutical industry so as to accumulate more profit at the expense of the lives of the needy and the poor.
A state-owned pharmaceutical company will go a long way in addressing the shortage of drugs in hospitals and clinics. This is long overdue taking into consideration that it was resolved at the watershed Polokwane conference of the ANC in December 2007.
Currently the number of people who test positive for HIV-Aids has increased six-fold from two million per annum to twelve million per annum. The creation of the proposed pharmaceutical company will be a very strategic move in the government’s struggle to roll out ARV’s to more than 5, 7 million people infected with HIV in the country. It makes perfect sense that this proposed company is established as soon as possible to save lives as 25% of ARV’s are consumed by South Africans per annum.
In commemorating this day, we would like to commend the Minister of Health for having released HIV prevalence statistics two days ago. Statistics reveal that South Africa's national HIV prevalence for 2010 (30.2%) was the same as the figure recorded in 2005 and a minor increase from 2009 (29.4%). Pregnant HIV prevalence has moved up to 30.2% from 29.4% in the year 2009.
It is worth noting that the age group between 13 and 34 are the most affected by HIV/AIDS standing at 42.6% as compared to the age group of 45 to 49 which stands at 28.2%. As the YCL we are very worried as this number is increasing rather than declining since it stood at 40.4% in the year 2009. This alone calls for the intensification of our campaigns on promoting safe sex, abstinence and faithful relationships among young people.
The YCL remains steadfast in its call for a mass circumcision campaign of young males. Although circumcision does not entirely prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS but we are strongly convinced that it can play a critical role in preventing new infections. We would also like to clearly state that male circumcision does not give young people a free ride to indulge in unprotected sex but to take extra precautionary measures to prevent infections.