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On 8 August 2003 a special Cabinet meeting considered the Joint Health/Treasury Task Team Report, and subsequently requested the Department of Health to submit, by the end of September, an operational plan to implement a comprehensive HIV and AIDS care and treatment programme in the public sector, which would include ARVs.

The Minister of Health on 19 August appointed a 16-member Task Team, chaired by Dr. Tony Mbewu of the MRC, to develop this plan. Technical assistance was provided by the William J. Clinton Presidential Foundation for the development of the Plan. This process included consultations with a wide variety of stakeholders.

The Task Team was able to meet the relevant deadlines, and it is expected that the Plan will serve before Cabinet in the next 2 weeks.

In the run up to World AIDS Day (Monday, 1 December 2003), the Department of Health has reprinted millions of pamphlets, leaflets and posters on HIV and AIDS, ensuring that the demand for such information can be quickly and adequately met, as the public intensifies its attention on the issue.

The Department of Health is making available almost 13 million informative and attractive publications about the prevention and management of HIV and AIDS, TB and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), and this high-quality material is available free of charge.

The material can be ordered from the Red Ribbon Resource Centre, which was set up in Johannesburg as an easily accessible distribution channel for the printed materials of the Government’s Khomanani campaign.

The aim of the Khomanani campaign is to mobilise South Africans countrywide to practice safe sex, curb the spread of HIV and AIDS and related diseases, and extend the country’s care and support network for people infected with and affected by HIV and AIDS. Khomanani is a Tsonga word meaning “caring together”.

Thami Skenjana, Director: Government AIDS Action Plan, Department of Health says that making the material more accessible to the general public has substantially increased demand. “We have worked hard to make it easy for communities, schools, hospitals, clinics and the media to access the booklets and pamphlets in the Red Ribbon Resource Centre. This has increased demand and forced us to reprint almost every one of the 106 items that we stock. We have rushed the reprint order and are very pleased that the materials are getting out to the people who need them most and who we know will make good use of them.”

The materials, published in all 11 official languages, include in-depth but easy-to-read booklets, which focus on Khomanani’s six campaigns – Youth, Circles of Support, Positive Living, STIs, TB and Health Worker Excellence. Some of the titles include “Caring for people with HIV and AIDS”, “Living Positively with HIV and AIDS” and “Pregnant and HIV Positive”.

Their are five “Circles of Support” booklets entitled “Government Grants for Children”, “Helping Children deal with grief and death”, “Circles of Support for our children”, “Keeping children in school" and “Keeping Children safe and healthy at home”. In addition to the dozens of different booklet titles, the Department has also reprinted popular leaflets and posters.

Ms Skenjana says: “All the material has been developed by leading experts in both health sciences and communications. Our ongoing research indicates that the materials are well received and are making an impact. People value the easy-to-read, well-illustrated style of the material.”

Community centres, schools, clinics, hospitals, NGOs and media can contact the Red Ribbon Resource Centre at (011) 880-0405 to order copies of the material. All material is distributed by Government free of charge.

Build-up to World AIDS Day 2003

Khomanani – meaning “caring together” in Tsonga – is the main message behind this year’s theme for World AIDS Day 1 December 2003. The Department of Health and its World AIDS Day 2003 campaign partners are aiming to motivate South Africa to act and make a difference by extending the support and care for their fellow citizens who are infected and affected by HIV and AIDS.

Through this theme and associated activities, World AIDS Day will continue to draw attention to the need for widening the support base to include all sectors of society in caring for individuals and communities who are afflicted with HIV and AIDS. This continues the global focus on stigma and discrimination as key obstacles in the fight against HIV and AIDS.

“By taking action to support those living with HIV and AIDS, we can all contribute to fighting the ignorance and fear which allow such a rapid spread of the virus. By so doing, we can hopefully begin to change our communities in order to protect ourselves and those around us from contracting HIV,” says Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, the Minister of Health.

In the coming weeks, the Department of Health will outline the national plans for commemorating this year’s World AIDS Day in South Africa. Multi-faceted activities, undertaken in partnership with several large organisations, will focus on providing ways in which South Africans can extend a supporting hand to their fellow citizens.

Circles of Support has been designed to channel the society’s assistance to orphans and vulnerable children and their families, and Positive Living binds all South Africans to the caring and support effort in the context of HIV and AIDS.

While there are many ways in which South Africans can show that they care, the Minister outlined a few activities, including:

Ø Pursuing responsible behaviour and safe sexual practices;

Ø Participating in the collection and donation drives (funding or tangible goods);

Ø Helping with the maintenance of community facilities;

Ø Empowering civil society by starting a support group;

Ø Awareness raising / education through community meetings, talks, peer education;

Ø Helping the caregivers; and

Ø Planting a food garden in the community (call Food Gardens Foundation for assistance on 011 880 5956)

For additional ideas or help with organising World AIDS Day activities, individuals or organisations can call the AIDS helpline on 0800 012 322 or the Circles of Support Information Hotline (to support orphans and vulnerable children and their families) on 0860 222 777, or go to the government’s HIV and AIDS website, www.aidsinfo.co.za

Important Dates and Conferences

13-15 November 2003 Palliative Care Conference

1 December 2003 World AIDS Day

Useful Websites

Dr. Nono Simelela
Chief Director: HIV/AIDS and TB
Tel: (012) 312-0121
simeln@health.gov.za

HIV/AIDS and TB Newsletter

Newsletter from the national HIV/AIDS and TB Programme, Pretoria