Pretoria – KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Nomusa Dube-Ncube says the province has come a long way in the fight against HIV and Aids.
“We have come a long way since the first diagnosis of HIV three decades ago and we now have a better grasp of what needs to be done. With this knowledge, we can say without fear of contradiction that the advances we have made will take us a step closer to an Aids-free world,” said MEC Dube-Ncube in Osindisweni on Monday.
South Africans on 1 December joined the world in commemorating World Aids Day.
The MEC said eThekwini’s northern region, with the catchment population of 1 812 105, accounts for 52% of the metro’s total population. The number of HIV tests conducted between January and September 2014 in this region was 268 081, with an average of 33 510 tests conducted per month.
“The rate of new infections has declined, especially among young people and this is attributable to regular testing, adoption of safer sex practices such as increased use of condoms, reduction in the number of sexual partners and delay in sexual debuts,” said MEC Dube-Ncube.
With the rate of HIV infection at 16.7 percent or 308 057 individuals in this region, the total number of patients on anti-retroviral treatment by September 2014 was 156 696.
This accounts for 51% of the total number of people on anti-retroviral treatment in the eThekwini Metro.
“The impact of our interventions is reflected by an increase in life expectancy which can be attributed to expanding access to antiretroviral treatment. We have also achieved a reduction in rates of mother-to-child transmission.
“These tallies show that the government’s efforts are working,” said the MEC. – SAnews.gov.za
