Hon Deputy Speaker, members of the House, a very good afternoon to you. It gives me great pleasure to participate in a debate on World Aids Day, which is commemorated annually on 1 December. This year's national event will be held in KwaZakhele, Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality. I will return to the details of this later.
The fight against HIV and Aids is not an event, but a concerted effort by all sectors of society. It is an everyday battle which must be fought by each and every one of us - and we have been fighting this battle for years. You know very well that the first identified case was 30 years ago in America. And without treatment for a long time, we only had prevention as a means of dealing with this epidemic. However, since 1992, we have had antiretroviral drugs to try to treat and control the symptoms of HIV and Aids. Of course, since then many new drugs have been developed, which resulted in HIV/Aids becoming a chronic disease, as now many people can live normal lives if treatment is started early in the course of the progression of the disease.
With advances in medicine, both with regard to diagnosis and treatment, the key questions are: Are we seeing a reduction in the number of new cases of HIV, and are people living longer? The global answer to these questions can be found in the 2011 Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, UNAids, World Aids Day report on HIV/Aids, which was released on Monday 21 November. It made international and local headlines. There were two headlines that caught my attention. The first headline was in the Cape Argus of 21 November. It said: "World coming to grips with the virus - UNAids". The second headline was in the Pretoria News of 22 November, which said: "Aids is on the retreat and can be beaten, suggests a report on the epidemic."
Hon Deputy Speaker, there is so much noise I can't hear myself speak.
You're missing nothing. [Laughter.]
Yes, but I want you to hear me.
Order, hon members!
The UNAids report suggests that 20% fewer people were infected globally with the virus in 2010, as compared to 1997, and that deaths from HIV and Aids decreased from 2,2 million in 2000 to 1,8 million in 2010. This is indeed good news. However, this was achieved by investing in programmes that helped to make a big difference and to save lives. The report also suggests that there are six key interventions that are necessary to accelerate the progress in the fight against the epidemic. These are, one, focusing on key population groups, which means those groups that are at higher risk of infection like sex workers and their clients, men who have sex with men and intravenous drug users; two, eliminating vertical transmission, that is the transmission of HIV and Aids from mother to child; three, behavioural change; four, condom promotion and distribution; five, voluntary medical male circumcision; and, six, treatment, care and support for those who have HIV. That is the global report and situation.
But what is the situation at home? Here at home the estimated number of people living with HIV and Aids is 5,63 million, of whom 5,3 million are above the age of 15 years, 3,3 million are women and 334 000 are children. Also, we know the prevalence rate among women attending our public-sector antenatal clinics or maternity clinics is around 30% now.
The good news, which was reported earlier this year, is that the transmission rate of HIV and Aids from mother to child halved between 2008 and 2010. It is now at 3,5%, while in 2008 it was 8%. While there is some variability in terms of provinces, I wish to single out the province of KwaZulu-Natal. Although KwaZulu-Natal is regarded as the epicentre of HIV and Aids, the good news is that with regard to lowering the transmission rate from mother to child, it is now the best province. They have reduced HIV and Aids transmission from mother to child by 2,9%. [Applause.]
Mpumalanga, which is regarded as having the second highest rate unfortunately, is still the highest at 5,7% in this regard, and we need to do something about it. We believe that we are clearly making progress in ensuring that fewer children get infected, but we need to do more. We have adopted a vision of eliminating mother-to-child transmission and we would like to see no children getting infected through vertical transmission by 2016. How will we do this? The model that has been adopted in KwaZulu- Natal, that of community-based interventions, will be rolled out nationally, such that each municipal ward will have primary health care workers who will work incessantly day and night to fight the scourge of HIV and Aids and other diseases.
Other prevention strategies will include expanding the provision of male and female condoms and working with all communities, families and individuals in ensuring that condoms are used consistently, that is with every sexual encounter. Every year we increase the number of male and female condoms distributed.
We have evidence that male circumcision reduces the transmission of the virus from women to men and, subsequently, will also decrease the number of men who transmit the virus to women. We have embarked nationally on a roll- out programme and we appeal to each and every male who is uncircumcised to please get circumcised. It is very important in the fight against this disease.
All our health facilities will be able to do circumcisions free of charge. However, this intervention must be part of a comprehensive package of sexual health messages, which include condom usage and behaving responsibly towards sexual partners.
All the evidence points to the need for combination prevention - no one prevention intervention works; they must be combined and targeted. As you know, the President announced new treatment regimens on World Aids Day in 2009, which was regarded by the world as a turning point for South Africa. I can announce today that because of the announcement on World Aids Day, we have made very important strides.
Firstly, on the massive HCT campaign, the HIV Counselling and Testing campaign, 13 million people presented themselves to be tested between April 2010 and June 2011, and more than eight million were screened for TB. If all South Africans make it a practice to be tested annually and screened for TB, we will make progress.
In April 2011, we had more than 1,4 million people who were on treatment, and we project that by the end of this financial year we will have 650 000 extra people receiving treatment.
What is our role as parliamentarians? Our role as parliamentarians is to ensure that we work with our constituencies in the following ways: encourage those that are negative to stay negative and to follow the simple rules we always preach; if they are positive, we should encourage them to live positively by getting treatment early, eating nutritious food and using condoms consistently.
As leaders, both nationally and in our communities, we have a responsibility to ensure that we walk the talk very openly on HIV and Aids and TB. As hon members may know, the life span of the current national strategic plan is about to come to an end as it has been in effect from 2007 to 2011. Now, we are unveiling a new strategic plan for the country from 2012 to 2016.
And, hon members, as I said earlier, because HIV/Aids is 30 years old this year, we will - apart from unveiling that strategy - be recognising 30 years of HIV/Aids. Hence, as in 2009, this year's World Aids Day will be attended by both the President and the Deputy President of the country in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, and we urge all of you to avail yourselves regarding this very important event. I thank you. [Applause.]
Hon Deputy Speaker and Members of Parliament, I greet you all. Approximately 30 years ago, health professionals were perplexed by a disease that was killing people. It was not the actual virus that was killing people but the other infections that were deemed not lethal that were killing people. What was found was that this actual disease was causing people to have an immunodeficiency, which they termed, at that time, as an autoimmune deficiency, because they did not know what was causing it.
It was not very long after that they found out that it was because of a certain virus that had peculiar tendencies compared to the well-known viruses. Unfortunately, the main area that this virus was transmitted through was the area we use for procreation, which means that it was so difficult to control, since we still had to procreate.
To date, the virus has infected more than 35 million people in the whole world, and 5,6 million infected people are in South Africa. If you look at those that are infected and you take it that the average family consists of about five people, you would say that five people per homestead are affected. And if you then multiply that five by 5,6 million, you will find that 25 million people in South Africa are affected. If you look at the population of South Africa, which is about 50 million, you would say one in every two people is affected by HIV and Aids. By any standard, this is a lot to contend with.
The emergence of this virus with its peculiar tendencies has been further compounded by other factors. The first is that mobility of people is very common. You could be having breakfast in the morning in South Africa and, in the evening, sleeping in Britain. This goes with tendencies of temptation, attraction and doing things without protection. The emergence of this virus occurs at a time when a lot of people feel very entitled. A lot of men feel that if they are married, they can have sex without a condom even if the wife wants to use a condom. They feel entitled to having sex without a condom if they don't want to use one. People have that attitude of entitlement. This happens at a time when people neglect to know that rights go with responsibilities. A lot of us think that we can do anything because we have rights, but forget that the consequences of what we do are going to be felt by somebody else. Obviously, this affects the scourge of HIV and Aids.
This happens again at a time when our cultures are affected by globalisation and are being diluted. At the same time, some of our cultures have stopped being practised without analysing whether they were good or bad. This comes at a time when the use of intoxicating substances causes us to make irrational decisions. This increases the possibility that when you are intoxicated with dagga, alcohol or any other substance that affects your brain, you do things that you regret afterwards, like having sex without a condom because you were intoxicated at that particular time.
This comes again at a time when most of us, not everybody, but most of us, are controlled by our emotions instead of us controlling our emotions. If we are controlled by emotions, there is no way we can think we can control things like HIV and Aids. Once again, this comes at a time when the physically strong and the rich use some of those things for those who are vulnerable and poor, because they know that they cannot say no to some of the things that they are saying. This comes at a time when in some areas, especially in rural areas, there is no equality: females are still regarded as lower than males and are regarded as subjects of other people.
I mention this solely because I want to say that HIV/Aids is a societal problem, not that of an individual. We cannot make the Minister of Health answer a lot of questions when it is a societal problem; neither can we say it is the Deputy President who is supposed to answer questions.
Hon Speaker, may I digress a little bit. I have said before that anything that we mismanage results in health problems and death. As all of us would remember, we are born in hospitals and we die in hospitals. Our entry and exit is actually in the Department of Health's hands. I say this, just to digress a little bit, in that there is something that we call climate change, which I am sure is going to affect all of us if we don't manage it very well. If it is managed well, there probably won't be problems. But I want to go further and say that we know that climate change is going to affect people. They are going to die because of hunger, heatstroke and chemical problems.
In terms of health, that there are micro-organisms, like the virus we are talking about, about which there are many theories as to how HIV came about, although nobody actually knows. The micro-organisms, coupled with climate change - most of them when their space is threatened - are going to mutate and change their ways of doing things. If that happens, most of those micro-organisms that have been harmless are going to become harmful. Even those that were less virulent are going to be more virulent because of climate change and the fact that their space is being threatened, either by heat or whatever changes that are going to happen with climate change. So, if we don't deal with climate change now, we must be prepared, as a people of the world, with new vaccines and new medicines that will change time and again. As you know, a new virus comes into being and you don't know where it came from. This is because of these mutations. This is all as a result of the fact that we are in a situation where things are changing. I want to go on and say this virus has had a very negative impact on us. Besides paying taxes that are paying for drugs and paying hospital bills because of this virus, it unfortunately affects those people that are not economically strong or viable. When those people develop immune system problems, they are off work more than at work, and yet organisations have to continue paying for them even if they are not at work. A lot of people have been boarded from work because of the fact that they are sick and they don't contribute to the economy but, at the same time, they are getting money out of the economy because their immune system causes them to be sick more often than well.
I don't think there is any language, as far as I know, that has a name for somebody who had kids that have died. If a male loses his wife, we call that person a widower; if somebody has lost a husband, we call her a widow. And if kids have lost parents, we call them orphans. But there is no name given to somebody who has lost kids. It tells you that this was not supposed to happen, but is happening with HIV/Aids. Many elderly people are looking after their houses. Many elderly people are looking after their grandchildren, because the parents are not there, owing to HIV/Aids. This is something that is abnormal, and we think should be changed.
As I said, it has been 30 years since HIV and Aids were discovered. And this government, led by the ANC, has only been in power for 17 years, but it has managed to put policies and strategies in place to make sure that this is going to be curbed. [Applause.] Not only have they managed to put strategies in place, they have managed to drop the price of drugs by 50%, and they have managed, as has been mentioned by the Minister here, to lower the mother-to-child transmission rate. All of this tells you that the ANC- led government has done something to make sure that HIV and Aids should be curbed.
This obviously tells us that we should not lose hope, and we should be more vigilant to make sure that we manage this disease and curb it so that nobody dies from it or gets sick with this disease. We must not lose hope, and we must make sure that we assist each other and unite in fighting this disease. If we don't do that, we will all be killed. We should not use this for political gains, but rather to make sure that everybody has a better life. Thank you. [Applause.]
Deputy Speaker, in 2007 South Africa represented 0,7% of the world's population, but accounted for 17% of the global number of HIV infections. This translated into 5,6 million people.
In 2000 the leading cause of morbidity was HIV at 31%, and the leading risk factors were unprotected sex at 32%. Trends in death notifications increased sharply, doubling over a decade to 700 000 deaths in 2008, with tuberculosis having a six-fold increase in the same period.
The statistics I have just read out are from the recently released National Development Plan. So, why is it that we seem unable to break the back of the HIV/Aids pandemic? How can we achieve zero infections? Why is it that HIV is still the single biggest killer of women of reproductive age, despite having the biggest treatment campaign in the world?
In her book, The Invisible Cure, on the HIV pandemic in Southern Africa, Dr Helen Epstein addresses this issue, and I quote:
The root cause of our Aids crisis is the entrenched culture of multiple concurrent sexual partners, aggravated by intergenerational sex.
She describes this as the "Aids superhighway". She concludes that the only countries in Africa that have turned the Aids pandemic around are those that have focused on partner reduction. Of particular interest is Uganda's "zero grazing", the name given to the policy to promote sexual fidelity.
She says further:
If the network of concurrent relationships serves as a superhighway for HIV, then partner reduction would be a sledgehammer, breaking up the highway into smaller networks and destroying the on-ramps - the casual relationships that let HIV onto the superhighway in the first place. In theory, condoms could have created "road blocks" on the superhighway if only people used them consistently. But most condom use in Africa is inconsistent, especially in the longer-term relationships in which so much HIV transmission takes place.
Epstein notes that the HIV rate in Zimbabwe and Kenya began to decline in the late 1990s once multiple partnerships began to decline; this, after the rate of condom use had been increasing throughout the decade. During the same period, HIV rates rose in Botswana, South Africa and Lesotho, where no partner reduction occurred and where condoms were emphasised as the main method of prevention. In all three countries, condoms were used more frequently than in Uganda where the HIV rate was falling.
South Africa and particularly men remain in deep denial about the core problem: that multiple concurrent sexual partners, aggravated by unprotected intergenerational sex, is spreading HIV.
While we have focused on condom distribution and free treatment, which are crucial components in the fight against HIV, we have ignored individual responsibility. Often, anyone promoting the "be faithful" component of the ABC prevention trilogy - abstain, be faithful and condomise - has been shot down.
Why is it that Uganda has had a reduction? And it seems to be the following conclusion: they have managed to remove the stigma against people living with HIV while stigmatising the behaviour that spreads HIV. This distinction is very important.
People living with HIV must be able to lead full, stigma-free lives and get the treatment they need to do so. At the same time, it is fair to require everyone to know their status and to avoid situations that involve infecting others. While this precaution applies to everybody, people that are HIV-positive have a particular duty to disclose their status in situations in which others could be at risk.
We must begin by challenging the premodern notion that unprotected sex with multiple intergenerational concurrent sexual partners is a cultural right. It simply is not. In a modern urban context, it wreaks social devastation. It drives up the teenage pregnancy rate, entrenches poverty, spreads disease, destroys families and produces unwanted and neglected children. It is the key reason why our health system is so overburdened. It must stop. It is not merely a moral issue. It is a developmental issue.
Let me say this so there would not be a misunderstanding. The DA in the Western Cape, which was the first province to roll out ARVs to HIV-positive people, will continue to provide the most advanced free treatment to everyone who tests positive for HIV. But it is fair to require everyone to take regular, free HIV tests and counselling and accept responsibility for preventing risk to others.
Only through a multidisciplined approach will we ever defeat the scourge of HIV. We have to break the cycle of infecting the next generation and we have to strive towards zero infections. We have to address head-on that having unprotected sex with multiple concurrent sexual partners, aggravated by intergenerational sex, is spreading HIV. I thank you all. [Applause.]
Hon Deputy Speaker, this debate about whether South Africa is taking responsibility on the path towards having zero infections concerning the policy in action on tuberculosis and HIV cannot be limited to the government, Parliament and the Department of Health officials. The appropriate question should be whether South Africa, as a country, involving all the citizens and residents, is taking responsibility.
All of us are aware that the South African government's HIV/Aids National Strategic Plan for Health is twofold: reducing the incidence of new HIV infections by half and placing 80% of those in need onto antiretroviral treatment. Whilst the country was busy concentrating on HIV/Aids, the amount of people dying of drug-resistant TB progressively increased while we were under the impression and belief that TB was under control with figures showing that TB numbers were on the decline. This phenomenon was being experienced in the 80s and early 90s.
I will not repeat the figures involving HIV/Aids, but it is important to note that the large majority of people who have drug-resistant TB are also HIV-positive and die because they are diagnosed or receive medication too late.
According to the latest global estimates, 9,4 million people contracted active TB in 2009, of whom almost 2 million have died. The World Health Organisation's figures reveal that the estimated number of multidrug- resistant TB cases is around 500 000, of whom more than a quarter have died.
Despite the situation being bad, not all is doom and gloom. If more people take responsibility for their health, we can, as a country, achieve a lot. All of us appreciate that if a vaccine for HIV/Aids is discovered, it will be easier to stem the number of people dying. We are aware that there are a lot of HIV and Aids drug trials to come up with a vaccine all over the world. Here, at home, one such project, which requires a lot of support from government, is the Centre for the Aids Programme of Research in South Africa, Caprisa, based at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Their gel can go a long way in empowering women in the fight against HIV/Aids.
The Foundation for Professional Development conducted a study in the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality amongst learners concerning their involvement in sexual activities. This study was released early this year. One of the most important findings of the study was that 40% of Grades 8 to 12 learners were engaging in sexual activities, of whom half do so with more than one sexual partner. The interesting part of this is that they are fully aware of the A, B, C, and D message. They could state the message parrot-fashion: abstain, be faithful, condomise, or do it yourself. The unfortunate thing is that these learners do not see themselves as being part of the risk of contracting HIV, despite their acknowledgement of being sexually active.
This is the reason Cope supports the school-based health screening and HIV- testing campaign. This will provide the learners with a chance to engage with counsellors and health workers. This will happen irrespective of whether they choose to test for HIV or not. The pre- and post-test counselling experience will provide learners with the opportunity to interact with professionals.
As a result of this, we believe that the actions by the Minister in this regard should be acknowledged. We can go far as a country in implementing the policy on HIV and TB if we, as individuals, take responsibility for our health, embark on educational programmes targeting teenagers, provide effective and relevant messages to society as a whole, and ensure that access to drugs is affordable and efficient. I thank you. [Applause.]
Hon Deputy Speaker, I would like to dedicate my speech to all those who have passed away from Aids-related illnesses including TB, and from TB. Furthermore, I salute all those that are infected and affected by the virus.
Aids is a story often told in numbers: 40 million infected with HIV, nearly 4,5 million this year alone; 12 million orphans in Africa; and 8 000 deaths and 6 000 new infections every single day. In some places, 90% of those infected with HIV do not know that they are HIV-positive. We have just learnt that Aids is set to become the third leading cause of death worldwide in coming years. These numbers are staggering and they help us to understand the magnitude of this pandemic. However, when repeated by themselves, statistics can also be numbing - they can hide individual stories and tragedies.
As we remember those infected and affected, we, as leaders, need to be re- energised to show political support and ensure that we do the right thing - not just through words, not just through symbolism, but through actions. We should work with drug companies to reduce the costs of generic antiretroviral drugs and work with developing nations to help them build the health infrastructure that is necessary to get sick people treated. This means more money for hospitals and medical equipment and more training for nurses and doctors.
We need a renewed emphasis on nutrition. Right now, we are finding that there are people on the drugs, who are getting treatment, but who are still dying because they don't have any food to eat. This is inexcusable, especially in countries that have sufficient food supplies.
The IFP supports all efforts to reduce and eradicate the scourge of HIV and tuberculosis from our land and continent. People must come forward and be tested. The time for silence is over. We need to deal with HIV and Aids and TB like any other illnesses. Let us rise up, remove the veil and be truthful to ourselves. I thank you. [Applause.]
Hon Speaker, HIV continues to have a devastating impact on an estimated 34 million people across the world.
Whilst the number of new infections has increased globally, South Africa's estimated annual rate of new infections has dropped by a third in the past 10 years or so. This is indeed very positive and shows that we are beginning to turn the corner in our fight against the epidemic. But we still have a very long way to go. We now have to shift our focus towards longer-term strategies to ensure that we continue on the same positive path. There is now solid scientific evidence which proves that antiretroviral therapy can prevent new infections. We must continue to ensure that every single South African gets tested and placed on antiretroviral treatment if they are HIV-positive. This approach, combined with a focused strategy on behavioural change, must become the priority of government in our fight against the disease.
The absence of a central database results in skewed calculations of the actual number of annual infections and we still do not have that central registry or database in place. The Minister announced, earlier this year, that nearly 12 million South Africans have tested for HIV. The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, UNAids, has reported that there are an estimated 5,6 million people living with HIV in South Africa. But none of these figures are entirely reliable because people are double and triple testing in order to get a second and third opinion, and we still we do not have a system to detect this.
We are still not making a greater investment in prevention, and our public health care sector must be channelled to focus more attention on prevention. This recognition has to be the first step in building a healthier nation for the future. If we do not shift our focus to address behavioural changes in the fight against HIV/Aids, we will never achieve the UNAids vision of zero new infections, zero discrimination, and zero Aids-related deaths. I thank you. [Applause.]
Hon Deputy Speaker and hon members, there has been a marked increase in government's commitment in the fight against HIV and Aids since President Jacob Zuma's administration took over in 2009. Government policy on this pandemic has left no room for ambiguity. The people now understand that government's programmes in the fight against this pandemic are very, very effective.
Despite these achievements, HIV and Aids continue to cost us millions of lives globally. Now, with the estimated number of people living with HIV and Aids in South Africa standing at more than 5 million, much more still needs to be done to make sure that there is no avoidable loss of life.
In addition, given the fact that thousands of children still die every year due to poor adherence to mother-to-child transmission prevention mechanisms, we need to educate our people about the fact that the prevention of the transmission of the virus from mother to child is possible. The deaths of minors affect our infant mortality rate.
While infection rates still appear to be stubborn, the future looks bright, in large part owing to recent medical advances that give us hope that a lasting solution to the pandemic is on the horizon. In the meantime, we should rely on tried and tested ways of treating the virus to ensure that both TB and HIV and Aids are dealt with decisively. We thank you very much, Minister of Health. Ke nnete. Banna a ba ye thabeng gore dilo t?e di fokot?ege. I?e Morena. [That is quite true. Men must go for circumcision so as to reduce the infection of this pandemic. Thank you.]
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES: Deputy Speaker, according to the 2011 mid-year population estimates of Statistics SA, the total number of persons living with HIV in South Africa increased from an estimated 4,2 million in 2001 to 5,3 million by 2011. For 2011 an estimated 10,6% of the total population is HIV-positive. Approximately one fifth, which is 20%, of South African women in their reproductive ages are HIV- positive. This is very serious.
The estimated number of adults over 15 years receiving antiretroviral therapy, or ARVs, in 2005 was approximately 100 000. In 2010 the number increased to 1 million. So that is an increase by ten. The same applies to children. The estimated number of children who received antiretroviral therapy in 2005 was 12 000. Today the number is 105 000. This is also an increase by ten. This is a special achievement for this department and the Minister. We all agree that the department must still broaden the coverage of antiretroviral treatment to all HIV-positive people. We also know that it becomes very expensive for the South African taxpayer to do that.
Die Minister en die departement moet geluk gewens word met die sukses wat hulle die afgelope tyd in Suid-Afrika in die stryd teen di siekte behaal het. Ek het geluister na die ANC-spreker wat die ANC-regering vir hul sukses geprys het. Ek was 'n getuie van verskillende debatte in hierdie Huis waar die vorige President, mnr Mbeki, en die vorige Minister van Gesondheid die gekste argumente oor MIV/Vigs gebruik het. Dit was argumente deurspek met politiek en samesweringsteorie, terwyl duisende mense besig was om besmet te word of dood te gaan.
Maar ek wens graag hierdie Minister en sy departement geluk. Die beste en die goedkoopste metode bly egter steeds voorkoming. Met 'n Suid-Afrikaanse bevolking waarvan 80% aandui dat hulle Christene is of geloof het, is die boodskap van 'n enkel huweliksmaat en 'n vermyding van losbandigheid steeds die belangrikste been van so 'n veldtog. Kom ons gaan kyk in Uganda hoe presies hiermee groot sukses behaal is. Ek dank u. [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[The Minister and the department should be congratulated on the success that they have recently achieved in the struggle against this disease in South Africa. I have listened to the ANC speaker who praised the ANC government for its success. I witnessed different debates in this House where the former President, Mr Mbeki, and the former Minister of Health raised the most absurd arguments about HIV/Aids. These were arguments full of politics and conspiracy theories, whilst thousands of people were being infected or dying.
But I would like to congratulate the current Minister and his department. However, prevention is still the best and cheapest method. With a South African population of which 80% is indicating that they are either Christians or have a religion, the message of having a single spouse and avoiding immoral behaviour is still the most important pillar of such a campaign. Let us go and look in Uganda at exactly how great success has been achieved with this. I thank you. [Applause.]]
Deputy Speaker, the possibility of getting Aids to zero took a step forward with a new antiretroviral drug recently, but shrinking donor funding and reports that less than half of those who need antiretroviral treatment are receiving it show us that there is no room for pride or complacency.
New infections continue to outpace the number of people starting treatment and, because of the prevalence of Aids in South Africa, we are expected to set a bold example by resolving to triple the number of people on antiretroviral medication by 2015.
The Treatment Action Campaign and Doctors Without Borders are calling on government to find ways to ensure robust funding for HIV in the wake of global shortages. Results of a study conducted by the Africa Centre for Health and Population Studies show that young people do not take the Aids message seriously and that condom use is still relatively low. They also reveal that, in general, people are in denial, believing their partner to be monogamous. It is common for people to stop using condoms after a few weeks of knowing each other.
The ACDP calls on the SA National Aids Council, Sanac, to place the issue of mass communication as a priority focus on the next national strategic plan on HIV/Aids, which is currently being formulated.
Circumcision trials have demonstrated that adult male circumcision does work to reduce the spread of HIV in African communities highly affected by the epidemic. Researchers say that results prove that this procedure will save lives and reduce the need for antiretroviral therapy.
The ACDP joins those calling for the roll-out of safe adult male circumcision to become a top priority in Southern and Eastern Africa. Thank you. [Applause.]
Deputy Speaker, Gabi Nxele wanted to give a gift to all women of the world. She voluntarily put her life on the line to take part in a field trial for an HIV-preventative medicine. She did this because, in her words, "People are dying here and I want to help scientists see if this will work." She was talking on television about her participation in the world-renowned Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa, Caprisa, 004 field trial of an antiretroviral microbicide vaginal gel. This gel, developed by the KwaZulu-Natal Aids Research Programme, helps prevent transmission of the HI virus during sexual intercourse. It gives women control over their sexual health, particularly those women whose partners refuse to use condoms.
For 30 months until March last year, 889 women in rural Vulindlela took part in the field trial whose success earned the respect of those working worldwide in the field of HIV prevention and Aids treatments.
Flushed with success, the Caprisa team devised a follow-up field trial that would include women attending the community's family planning clinic as well as the original participants. Its aim is to identify some of the less common adverse effects of the gel before it is licensed for wider and worldwide use. About R30 million for this trial was secured from UNAids and from our Department of Science and Technology.
On 18 November last year, an application was made to the Medicines Control Council, MCC, to approve the Caprisa 008 trial. It still sits there. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration would likely have approved a trial of this nature in less than 30 days. During the past year there has been much back and forth between Caprisa and the MCC. Each time Caprisa answers its queries, the MCC fires back a new question or insists on a new requirement for which no document is publicly available and of which the researchers - any researchers - are unaware.
Last week Caprisa's hopes were raised. The MCC agreed to the trial but insisted that it could not be extended beyond the original participants. Caprisa agreed to this compromise simply to get the trial going. But, wait: the MCC threw in a fresh obstacle to the approval of the trial. It created a new requirement. So Caprisa has called in the lawyers to challenge this.
This is ridiculous. The Cabinet must stop sitting idly by while this farce is taking place. We cannot let the ghosts of previous Cabinets' collective inertia on HIV/Aids haunt us in perpetuity. When I asked the Minister of Science and Technology to use her persuasive powers on her Health colleague she declined. And she is a cofunder of the field trial. The Minister of Health insisted in a letter to me that any initiative aimed at the prevention of the spread of HIV will always be handled as a priority. This is utter nonsense in the light of Caprisa's experience.
Prof Salim Karim, who heads Caprisa, says that once confirmed as effective, the vaginal gel has the potential to alter the course of the HIV pandemic. In the next 20 years in South Africa - if we act with speed and dedication to the anti-Aids cause - we can stop 1,3 million people from becoming infected. We can prevent the deaths of 826 000 people.
The MCC's brinkmanship with Caprisa indicates to the outside world that our government still lacks the leadership necessary to inject a sense of urgency in stopping HIV infections. Its indifference is an act of violence against the women who want to take control of their health. Its power play with Caprisa is a crime against the most vulnerable of women, not only in South Africa but in the rest of Africa.
Gabi and all the women of Vulindlela have demonstrated considerable courage, enthusiasm and dedication in playing a constructive role to fight Aids. It is time the Cabinet matched that courage. It must redress the silence of its past. It must instruct the MCC to stop its delaying tactics and get with the HIV-prevention programme. [Applause.]
Hon Deputy Speaker, hon Members of Parliament, this year marks exactly 23 years and 10 months since the day the Ministers of Health met in London to adopt 1 December as the day on which the world would commemorate the lives of those who were affected and infected by HIV and Aids. This historic step was motivated by the growing realisation that the spread of HIV was not confined to geographic location, seasons of the year, economic status of the people or level of education.
In 1988, the theme for World Aids Day was communication. This theme reminded the world of the need to ensure that the message of those affected and infected with HIV/Aids was delivered without any ambiguity. Those who were suffering were yearning to hear someone speak a message of hope. They wanted to hear the leadership speak. For me, this theme is more relevant even today. We must strengthen our communication - the way we talk, the way we act, the way we live, our verbal and nonverbal communication - because they are key to sending the message of hope to those who are at the receiving end of this pandemic.
I am certain the Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, learned from this theme, because when he took over the portfolio, he heightened communication of this matter. I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to the Minister and his deputy and to urge them to work even harder because someone who has been hopeless gets more hope when they speak. Some orphans get a better sense of tomorrow when the leadership speaks.
In 1988 and 1990 the themes were "Youth" and "Women and Aids" respectively. These themes resonated well with the challenge at the time. This is so relevant because unless we address the most vulnerable groups, which are the youth and women, our efforts will amount to nothing. The message of Aids had to be centred on these two groups. Women as mothers of the youth had to be taken on board and be asked to play a central role in addressing the challenge of the youth. We all know that Aids has killed more young people than any other age group. The idea was that if we addressed women and youth, we would cover 75% of the targeted audience.
In 1996, World Aids Day was commemorated with the theme: "One World, One Hope". This theme made people realise that in spite of the hardships, we are still living in a world of hope. There was great hope that either the message of care and support would grow, or that a solution would be found in our lifetime. The theme came at a time when many people were beginning to lose hope. In my view, it is from this theme that South Africa's effort gained momentum towards the establishment of the SA National Aids Council, Sanac.
In 1998, the theme was: "Force for Change: World Aids Campaign with Young People". This was the theme that called for serious reflection on how far we have come and what lessons could be learned from the journey of 10 years. This was a milestone period, a reflection on the debates of the relentless fight against Aids. In 2007 the theme was "Take the Lead", joining all leaders from all sectors of society to fight HIV/Aids. Now, over two decades later, what have we done? Are the statistics the only thing that we need to show for all our efforts? Is there any hope? Have we kept our promises? Have we mobilised the youth? Have we stimulated people to have hope? These are the questions that must be answered by the leadership across the spheres of society, regardless of political affiliation.
We need to be remembered as the leaders who, during their time, took action that brought hope to the hopeless, brought joy to those who were sad, brought relief to those in pain. We must be ready to stand up and be counted. My brief reflection on various themes has exposed how impossible it would be for any government to attain those themes working on its own. The government is based on the slogan, "Working together, we can do more." It is clear that all themes have needed co-operation from other sectors in order to be successfully implemented.
In this regard, I would like to single out one sector that has been a pillar of strength, a shoulder to cry on, or a good partner in service delivery. This is the sector that works with people at the grass-roots level. This sector consists of the nongovernmental organisations, or NGOs. I think we need to pay special tribute to the NGO sector because their ... [Time expired.] Thank you very much. [Applause.]
Hon Deputy Speaker, hon Deputy President and the House, over the past decade we journeyed together as a nation through rough waters and on difficult terrain in our common quest to find solutions to limit the high mortality and mobility of HIV and Aids with regard to our economy and our society as a whole.
We are now at a point at which we can say we have won many battles, including sometimes battling against one another, to arrive at the enviable moment of being at the beginning of winning the war against HIV and Aids.
As we are still counting a huge loss of life we have suffered within society and within the economy, we need to recognise the progress we have made together and build on this tangible progress. We must also recognise that we are only at the summit of success in dealing with this epidemic, including dealing with TB. We have conquered the ignorance, myths and stigma which, if we can recall, resulted in workers losing their jobs, in girl-children being raped, in HIV-positive women being stoned, in the sick and dying being rejected, sometimes by family and friends.
We have saved our nation from dying young, thus opening up opportunities for many of our young people to have the brighter future they deserve. We have given hope to families, in which, in the past, the elderly were parenting young people instead of their children looking after them and supporting them, and where thousands of orphans were left without parents. We have re-energised the health system and also given hope to all the health workers from the past, where clinics and hospitals were overflowing with the sick. We have also re-energised our economy where, in the past, we had unprecedented absenteeism and staff turnover rates in companies, as well as at our public facilities, including schools.
Our country stood together in pain and embraced this challenge in panic, in rationality, in paralysis and in activism. We remained ever hopeful and resolute that as a nation that has just woken up from the sunshine of democracy, it was meant for our young to live, to thrive and to prosper as we waged battle after battle for a common goal and for a common cause.
Today, we are more united and we celebrate the progress made over the past two years, led by President Zuma, Deputy President Motlanthe and Minister Motsoaledi. This progress we have made is unprecedented and can only be attributed to South Africans at their best.
Working together with those affected, civil society and business, the nation responded overwhelmingly with over 15 million citizens coming forth for counselling and testing. To date, over 60% of those needing treatment have access to it and the number of babies born HIV-positive has reduced by 50%. Our nurses availed themselves for training and service to work side by side with doctors as more treatment centres were opened. Volunteers, many motivated by nothing other than their love for their people, worked many hours on allowances that provided just enough for their travel and for a meal or two.
Our scientists, management and activists invested endless hours to ensure evidence-based solutions, and generated logistics and systems to ensure that we do not fail our people and that our people receive the messages of hope and are empowered to act in their own best interests. We must remember that the battles that we have just consolidated do not mean that the war is over. It has just begun.
I would also like to indicate that South Africa is not only facing the burden of HIV and Aids and TB. As we save our people from dying early from HIV and Aids and TB, we must remember that we also need to conscientise them that we have three more burdens that we need to tackle: maternal and child mortality, noncommunicable diseases like high blood pressure and cancer, as well as trauma and violence.
As our nation survives HIV and Aids, let us commit ourselves to surviving it and live healthily: to have less salt, fat and refined carbohydrates in our diet, and let us exercise at least 20 minutes three times a week. Let us limit the abuse of sex, the abuse of tobacco, the abuse of alcohol, the abuse of drugs, and let us also stop interpersonal violence, especially amongst young men, and let us also work together to reduce the scourge of the abuse of, and violence against, women and children.
As we look forward to the launch of the National Strategic Plan for HIV and Aids, STIs and TB for the period of 2012 to 2016, let us salute every South African who responded positively to the call: "I am taking responsibility, we are taking responsibility and South Africa is taking responsibility."
Through taking this responsibility individually and collectively, we indeed have ensured that the democracy that we fought for and many died for is not in vain. Through taking individual and collective responsibility, we can ensure that the goals of zero infection, zero transmission to children and zero deaths for South Africans are achievable in our lifetime. This is, indeed, South Africa at its best. If we remain committed, working together single-mindedly against these diseases and to promote health, we will certainly win the war.
I also want to take this opportunity to wish you and your families a safer, healthier and joyous festive season. I thank you. [Applause.]
Debate concluded.