Hon Speaker, hon members of the House, invited guests, ladies and gentlemen, in my budget speech on 15 May 2013 I made a humble request to the hon Speaker to provide a date when we would launch the HIV Counselling and Testing Campaign, commonly known as the HCT campaign, in Parliament, with the hon Speaker and the hon Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces taking the lead, followed by leaders of all political parties in this hallowed Chamber. Today, that day has arrived and I am very excited about it.
It gives me great pleasure to be here today, in this extremely important and powerful place in the country, to launch the HCT campaign for Members of Parliament of the Republic of South Africa as well as all those who work here. The campaign was launched this morning by the Deputy President of the country and the chairperson of the SA National Aids Council, Sanac, hon Kgalema Motlanthe.
Since the launch of the national HCT campaign by the President of South Africa on 25 April 2010, more than 18 million people have been tested for HIV, and a significant number screened for tuberculosis, TB, as well as for other chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension. Although the campaign was successful, as acknowledged by such bodies as UNAids, there are still a number of sectors in the country that have not yet been reached.
The National Development Plan, NDP, Vision 2030, that has been adopted by this House, suggests that for us to produce positive results in developmental health in the country, life expectancy in South Africa must be raised to at least 70 years; we must ensure that the generation of under- 20s is largely free of HIV and Aids; we need to reduce the burden of disease; and we need to achieve an infant mortality rate of less than 20 deaths per thousand live births, including an under-5 mortality rate of less than 30 per thousand.
However, unless we deal decisively with the HIV and Aids pandemic, none of the dreams of the NDP will ever be attainable, because the biggest contributor to most of these problems is the HIV and Aids pandemic. Therefore, there is a need to encourage all South Africans to test for HIV and to be screened for TB annually through the creation of an enabling environment for HCT.
This is why we decided at an earlier Sanac plenary meeting that the Presidency will relaunch the HCT campaign in the country. This relaunch will take place in the Gert Sibande district in the Mpumalanga province on 1 December 2013, which is World Aids Day. Today's launch is just a build-up to that countrywide launch. The rationale for choosing the Gert Sibande district for the relaunch of the HCT campaign is that it is now officially the district with the highest prevalence of HIV and Aids in the country.
Along with the relaunch of the HCT campaign, we will launch a national medical male circumcision campaign at the same time. As you know, MMC is a critical strategy to decrease HIV/Aids infection, as demonstrated in a number of clinical trials in South Africa and other countries on the continent. The services offered at the same time as the HCT campaign, today at Parliament and in December in Mpumalanga, includes blood pressure monitoring, screening for diabetes mellitus, screening of body mass index, BMI, which, as you know, has become a crisis in the country as well as in this Parliament, TB symptomatic screening and TB diagnosis using the GeneXpert machine. Male medical circumcision services are also available for those who want to access this service. We are inviting those of you who need to do it and have not done so. I can help you because I am also involved in that sector. All those who test positive for HIV/Aids, TB or other noncommunicable diseases will be referred to appropriate health facilities for further management and care.
The National Strategic Plan, NSP, for HIV/Aids, sexually transmitted infections, STIs, and TB suggests that every South African should be tested annually. I want to emphasise the words "every South African", regardless of age, status or station in life. Today's event will contribute significantly towards scaling up HCT in the country by showing everyone that there is strong political leadership in the country that supports the war against HIV and Aids.
The HCT campaign is an appropriate and powerful vehicle for social mobilization on HIV and Aids, and TB. In addition, the HCT campaign is very important as it is the entry point to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. It facilitates the provision of male and female condoms to every person who receives HIV counselling and testing. As you know, used accurately and consistently, condoms play a crucial role in the prevention of HIV/Aids, other STIs as well as unplanned pregnancies.
As we saw when the President launched the HCT campaign in April 2010, HCT contributed to the reduction of the stigma related to HIV and Aids, and TB. HCT can also help us to identify and reach the most at-risk population, as articulated in the NSP 2012-16. So, it is important that Members of Parliament take the lead, for everybody in society to see that this disease is a disease of everybody. It can even enter into the most powerful places on earth. People must not fear being tested.
Since the launch of HCT in 2010, several sectors have been mobilised to launch the HCT campaign. These include the industrial, financial, mining, farming, village, public, Correctional Services, sports and entertainment sectors, etc. We also partnered with the Rotary Club to include HCT and screening for TB as part of Rotary's Health Week. In the past, they used to have the health week without this, and we are very happy that it has been included.
We see the participation of leadership and prominent members of society in the HCT campaign as a powerful message to all people of South Africa, and a powerful vehicle for social mobilisation to address the issue of stigma and discrimination and ensuring early access to care. We are committed to eliminating the exclusion of persons living with HIV and TB in the country.
I also wish to take this opportunity to communicate to the people of South Africa the government's commitment to expand highly effective antiretroviral, ARV, drugs that are easier to administer. As you are aware, on 8 April this year we launched the introduction of the fixed-dose combination, FDC, as a clear demonstration that the government is serious about simplifying treatment in order to improve compliance and adherence to treatment. Testing HIV-positive is no longer a death sentence and is just like any other chronic illness. It can be treated and people who are HIV- positive can live long and healthy lives.
The FDC pill contains the same three drugs that are used for first-line treatment, but the FDC is administered only once a day, reducing the pill burden and making adherence simpler for patients. At the launch of FDC I mentioned why this was important:
Firstly, the FDC pill is simple to administer and is highly effective; secondly, patients take one FDC pill daily; thirdly, using FDC will improve compliance and adherence to treatment, thus keeping patients virologically suppressed and reducing the risk of developing drug resistance to ARVs as well as transmitting the disease to those who are HIV-negative.
Fourthly, patients on TB and HIV treatment will have a reduced pill burden and therefore have improved compliance to treatment and suffer fewer side effects.
Lastly, mothers who are HIV-positive and are breastfeeding can get an FDC pill, which will reduce the risk of HIV transmission during breastfeeding.
Let me say a few words about TB, because 80% of people who are HIV-positive and who unfortunately pass away are actually killed by TB. There are 22 countries in the world that carry 80% of the world's TB cases. Unfortunately, six of those 22 countries are in the Southern African Development Community, SADC, and South Africa is one of them. All five Brics countries are counted among these 22 countries. A total of 60% of all people who have multidrug-resistant, MDR tuberculosis, in the world are found in the five Brics countries.
In South Africa the highest prevalent rate of TB is found in Correctional Services. It is number one in the country, and that is why the Deputy President, as the leader of Sanac, which now includes TB, launched on World TB Day on 24 March, a campaign in Pollsmoor Prison, which is one of the correctional facilities. He launched a campaign for us to have all the inmates screened before they are admitted to Correctional Services' facilities. Thereafter, they will be screened twice per year and be put on treatment, and then we will get a list of all those who have tested positive for TB from Correctional Services. We will follow up on their families and screen them, because the screening process is very important. We chose Pollsmoor Prison because, as you know, that is where Tata Madiba also contracted TB. So it was chosen symbolically. I am happy to report that all 12 000 inmates in Pollsmoor have been screened for TB. We used the GeneXpert machine on them, and out of the 12 000 who were screened, 176 are now on treatment.
I also want to mention to you that the issue of screening the population is important. We know that in South Africa 405 000 families have a member with TB. Starting in March 2011, we put together 18 teams to visit these families, and 150 000 of those families have been visited. We screened the whole family with the GeneXpert machine, especially the children. Guess what? We found that 3 000 people had TB, but they never knew it until this screening was done. So the issue of screening is very important because you might not have symptoms. We know that the following symptoms are important: coughing for longer than two weeks; chest pains; unintentionally losing weight; and sweating at night. Again, the HIV test, sputum test or the GeneXpert test can be very helpful, which is why we have brought the GeneXpert machine here.
Let me also say a few words about noncommunicable diseases. An hon member of this House has just sat down after speaking emotionally about cancer. As you know, it is one of the noncommunicable diseases, together with high blood pressure and chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus and chronic lung diseases like asthma, that is a new threat to the world. Noncommunicable diseases are diseases of lifestyle. If our lifestyles change, so will these disease patterns in our communities.
We do not know the causes of these noncommunicable diseases, but we know that commonly there are four risk factors: smoking, alcohol, poor or wrong diet and lack of physical activity. Government has taken a number of steps to assist by, for example, passing tough regulations on the sale and advertising of tobacco products; limiting the salt content of processed foods; and regulating the use of transfatty acids.
We are now looking forward to curbing the advertising of alcohol. We know that there are those who are fighting us because they believe we are playing a game. We are not playing a game. We are faced with a titanic battle. It's believed that long after HIV/Aids is gone, and it may be so in 30 years, the noncommunicable diseases will still be around. They will never go away as long as human beings are alive because of the fact that they are lifestyle diseases. It means that we have to be very careful in controlling noncommunicable diseases. So when we introduce caps like the ban on the advertising of alcohol, we are not doing so because we want to punish people, but we are doing so because the world is faced with a disaster. The UN believes that if drastic steps are not taken in the next decade or two, many countries will simply not be able to carry their health budgets because of the burden of treatment they will carry.
Just imagine sitting here in this Parliament, going through budgets and realising that in order for human beings to continue living, we must cut budgets from all other sectors, including education, housing andr social development just to keep people alive. I'm not trying to threaten you, I'm not trying to mobilise for a higher budget for health, but I'm mobilising for something that we know works - prevention of diseases and promotion of health. If you prevent them, you won't need a lot of money. So when we say that we want to put a regulation in place to cap this or that, and people call us a "nanny state" or say "we are not children", we simply want you as leaders to understand.
Lastly, before sitting down, I want to remind members that earlier I mentioned to hon Ambrosini the issues that work and don't work. As I said, the first one that works is to avoid the risk factors. Firstly, we are aware that this does not necessarily mean that everybody who is ill has been involved in these risk factors, but a large number of people are, and this has been scientifically proven.
Secondly, if we have to treat them, we must use agreed-upon scientific methods and protocols. These scientific methods and protocols are annually agreed upon by the World Health Organisation, WHO, through the World Health Assembly that takes place in Geneva every May. All the Ministers of Health in the world, all scientists, civil society and other activists get together for the whole week to draw up policies. Until now we have only received our policies from the WHO. So, when I follow those policies, do understand that we are following science. This is the only method we know now, until something else may come up in the future. But at the moment, this is the only method that we can follow.
So I would once more like to urge everyone to get tested in the next few days for HIV and Aids, TB, hypertension, BMI, cholesterol, and all the other ailments that are threatening our lives. Please understand that this is not a once-off thing. This year it is the launch, but we are hoping that you will do it every year, with the leadership of the Deputy President, the presiding officers in this Parliament, the leaders of political parties and the Chief Whips.
When we leave this Parliament today, we will extend a similar campaign to all the provincial legislatures in the country; from there to all the district municipalities, where the district mayors must lead the campaign, together with leaders of political parties there. From there we will go to all the local municipalities, where the local mayors must also lead the campaign.
Last week I had the honour and opportunity to address bishops from various denominations in this country. I urged them, like Parliament, to choose a day on which all the church members will be tested, so that on that particular day church-going people will know that it is their opportunity to get tested. Only in this way will we be able to say that the ideals and dreams mentioned in the NDP of South Africans living up to 70 years, having an HIV-free generation, reducing maternal and child mortality and reducing the burden of diseases that our country and, indeed the whole continent, is carrying will be attained. It's the only way that this will happen.
In conclusion, I would like to thank the hon Speaker, the hon Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces and the Members of Parliament for taking the lead and participating. They can only gain one thing, which is that the country will be saved from this scourge. I thank you. [Applause.]
Hon Speaker, Ministers and members, we welcome the launch of the HIV Counselling and Testing campaign here in Parliament. It sets the scene for focusing on the National Strategic Plan on HIV, STI's and TB. We support the realistic approach to health care.
It is an acknowledgment that we have finally moved away from the terrible days of Aids denialism that robbed so many South Africans of their lives, that took mothers and fathers which led to Aids orphans left as heads of households, bereft of parental guidance and support, forced to fend for themselves.
I remember little children being excluded from schools and crches, people losing their jobs and being reduced to the status of outcasts for fear of contamination from the mysterious disease. The discrimination and stigma was enormous and led to great hardship, fear and isolation. Poverty and hunger increased and the needs of the people became desperate. It became obvious that antiretrovirals should be rolled out throughout all the provinces and not just in the Western Cape, where good results were being obtained and lives were being saved.
In 2000 the global community signed the historical United Nations Millennium Development Goals acknowledging that an effective response to HIV/Aids needed to be taken, setting it within the context of a broader development agenda. Millennium Development Goal 6 calls for strong action to halt and try to reverse the Aids pandemic.
The 2015 deadline for the MDGs is closer now, about 900 days away, and we still have a long way to go to reach the targets that were set in 2000. We were to reduce sexual transmission of HIV/Aids by 50% to eliminate HIV infections amongst children and reduce maternal deaths. There has been an improvement in the former, but unfortunately there has not been sufficient improvement in maternal deaths, often due to other health care factors. We were to halve the deaths due to tuberculosis amongst people living with HIV by 2015. In 2000 we lacked crucial medical treatment and preventive measures for HIV/Aids. But now, due to international support and medical research, we have made much progress. We have the tools to end the HIV/Aids epidemic.
However, we still fall far short of eliminating gender inequality. Domestic violence and gender-based abuse are known to contribute to the vulnerability of women to HIV and Aids. A recent review found that women who have experienced intimate partner violence are 50% more likely to be living with HIV/Aids.
Should we not make programmes available to integrate HIV and sexual and reproductive health services and education at clinics and schools? Should we not be putting more resources into engaging men and boys in constructive programmes to teach them about building solid loving relationships built on respect and consideration rather than power and exploitation? Women and girls need to be encouraged to stand up for their rights so that they can be protected from HIV/Aids. Far too many women are still subservient and subject to patriarchal attitudes, where they have no choice about relationships, about safe sex practices or about the need for family planning. They are regarded as mere chattels, sexual objects to be used and abused.
How much funding is government making available for safe havens and Thuthuzela Centres, for shelters for women and children who are victims of rape and abuse? We lack sufficient social workers, counsellors, psychologists and psychiatrists. If government is serious about reducing the burden of HIV/Aids, we need to look at these matters holistically.
As leaders of the nation, we all have a responsibility to set an example of how to conduct our lives and how to treat our partners with respect and consideration and not to engage in casual exploitative relationships. Moral regeneration is not a programme for a particular occasion, but it is how the leaders of our state and nation conduct their relationships every day. Now, some 13 years later, South Africa is ready to focus on the National Strategic Plan on HIV, STI's and TB.
We are fortunate to have received R3 billion from the United Nations Global Fund to support the country's programme. We have better resources now. We have the benefit of research and experience. I trust that the HIV/Aids portfolio committee will be reinvigorated in the next term and will serve as a catalyst for action in supporting the current Ministry in undoing the legacy of denialism.
We need to focus on the general wellness of the nation, including mental health, and encourage people to take personal responsibility for their sexual practices so that HIV/Aids can be eradicated. I agree, we need to promote general wellness, but this we need to do together. We all need to set the example. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
Hon Deputy Speaker, hon Ministers and members who are here, Cope acknowledges that government has done a lot in the long drawn-out fight against HIV and Aids. The provision of antiretrovirals combined with education and HIV testing and counselling, HTC, provide a platform for people living with HIV/Aids to come forth for assistance. The role of the Treatment Action Campaign, TAC, in the destigmatisation of HIV and Aids cannot go unnoticed.
The problem with the HIV and Aids and TB diseases is that they are diseases without borders. As South Africans, we won't deal decisively with the problem without co-operation and co-ordination with the Southern African Development Community, SADC, countries as a start and Africa in general.
Whilst the research for medication continues, it is important to note that education can play a vital role in ensuring that we have an HIV-free generation in the near future. The campaign should also be driven by nongovernmental organisations and government to ensure that we reach all corners of South Africa, encouraging people to change their lifestyle. The South African National Aids Council, Sanac, and the Department of Health are mostly seen as the only bodies waging the fight against HIV/Aids. This is something we have to work towards countering so that all of us can be part of the battle against HIV and Aids.
We believe that it is important for the nation to move towards removing such a misunderstanding and encourage all sectors, including business, nongovernmental organisations and all political parties, to join hands in intensifying the fight against HIV/Aids.
The most important measure to indicate success in the fight against the pandemic will always be the reduction of deaths, the increase in life expectancy and the improvement in the standard of living of the people, especially the poor. We cannot talk about HIV/Aids without talking about the conditions under which our people live. Although HIV/Aids do not have any class, it is not a secret that it severely affects the poor. Therefore, social upliftment becomes vital in the fight against HIV/Aids and TB. We need to ensure that there is a provision of basic services, including clean water, proper sanitation and a violence-free society in the fight against HIV/Aids.
Cope is aware that from time to time there are disturbing reports about people living with HIV not receiving their antiretrovirals for different reasons, including inefficiency, corruption and general lack of skills of people employed in our clinics, hospitals and the provincial health departments. To Cope, corruption is also a problem in the fight against HIV/Aids because it denies people on the antiretroviral programme their constitutional right to free health, and their health is severely compromised. The chronically out-of-stock medicine also compromises the health of people living with HIV. They then become prone to drug resistance.
It is also unfortunate that the funding to sustain the fight against HIV/Aids depends to a large extent on the Americans. When the United States President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, Pepfar, announced that it was discontinuing funding of a number of African projects, the fight against HIV/Aids suffered a severe blow and Africa was indeed petrified. Once you rely on a foreign nation for the health care of your fellow citizens, you are failing to provide them with their constitutional right to free health care and the right to life.
The other problem in the fight against HIV/Aids in South Africa is that corporate citizens become citizens only when there is free publicity for them to benefit. They are more concerned about public relations than a sustainable fight against HIV/Aids. We should therefore ask ourselves what contributions have they actually made in the fight against HIV/Aids. What sustainable programmes have they embarked upon to ensure that the fight against HIV/Aids takes place within the workplace? I thank you.
Hon Deputy Speaker, Your Excellency, the Deputy President, Mkhuluwa, hon Minister of Health, hon Ministers, hon Deputy Ministers and hon colleagues, since we as leaders in our country first accepted the responsibility of speaking openly about HIV and Aids, despite the traditional taboo of discussing issues of sexuality - and it is the truth, because of this taboo - South Africa is taking some faltering steps forward in fighting the HIV/Aids pandemic.
If one looks at where we began and where we are now, one might be tempted to talk in terms of giant strides that have been taken. However, I talk about faltering steps because, clearly, we could have done so much more and done it so much faster. Lives have been lost to this battle simply because this government was slow to respond appropriately. I said so in the Cabinet, when the then head of state and government were in denial of HIV and Aids and when his Minister of Health was in denial of HIV and Aids.
I first spoke at the funeral of my son, Prince Nelisuzulu Benedict Buthelezi, in April 2004, and lamented that he had lost his long war against HIV and Aids, but the space to talk about this opened up. I spoke again in August that year, when I lost my daughter, Princess Mandisi Sibukakonke Buthelezi, to HIV and Aids.
A few months later, His Excellency, President Nelson Mandela, lost his eldest son, Makgatho Mandela, and he too found the courage to say that his son had succumbed to Aids. Together, we called on our nation to break the silence and destroy the stigma - which today the Minister has spoken about - that prevented us, as a nation, from talking about this disease. Leaders in our communities and leaders in our nation are still carrying that message, for it is still the message that will turn the tide on this pandemic. We need to break the silence, colleagues, and speak the truth.
I therefore welcome the HIV Counselling and Testing campaign launched in Parliament this afternoon. I support the many efforts being made across the spectrum of our society to encourage people to be tested, accept responsibility for their health and make the right lifestyle adjustments that would see the spread of HIV infection arrested. This is a battle we can win. Indeed, we are encouraged by the message from government that we are already tasting victory, Minister.
How wonderful it is to hear that our government has saved hundreds of thousands of lives by providing antiretrovirals to mothers and newborn babies. It happened just as the IFP had said it would.
In 2002, when the IFP was at the helm in KwaZulu-Natal, our then premier, Dr Mtshali, rolled out antiretrovirals to mothers and their newborns at clinics across the province. It was an effective and simple treatment that saved countless lives. Thus we asked the national government at that time to follow suit. However, our ANC-led government at that time refused, forcing the Treatment Action Campaign to drag them all the way to the Constitutional Court, where government protested that it simply could not be done. The IFP intervened as amicus curiae, a friend of the court, proving that it could be done and that it was done very effectively in KwaZulu-Natal. We predicted that it would save hundreds of thousands of lives. Thus the Constitutional Court ordered government to do it.
Now that we are proven right once again, we hope that, for the sake of our country, our brothers and sisters in the ruling party will listen more closely to the IFP, because these are matters of life and death about which we dare not play politics of opposition for opposition's sake.
The pandemic of HIV and Aids is so intertwined with the severe challenge of tuberculosis, TB, as the Minister has said, that the one cannot be discussed without the other. In this case, too, the solution is breaking the silence and ensuring that people seek a diagnosis, as the Minister has told us, and follow the medical regimen all the way through.
The IFP has been a champion in the fight against HIV and Aids and TB. We will remain at the forefront of this battle until it is won. Mkhuluwa, we must thank Msholozi for appointing a Minister like this, not just a cadre, but also a committed person. Thank you. [Laughter.] [Applause.]
Deputy Speaker, the ACDP supports the efforts by the Minister and the department to encourage the nation to know their status and will be participating in the HIV Counselling and Testing campaign initiated by the Deputy President. I have, in previous years, taken the time to be tested for HIV even though I do not regard myself as being at risk. I have done this because I am convinced that it is our duty as responsible citizens to know our status. I believe that when testing becomes a regular practice of the majority of South Africa's people, we will no longer put off testing out of concern for what people may think.
The HIV/Aids epidemic in South Africa has taken a huge toll socially and economically, and drastic measures should have been taken many years ago to contain the disease, which spread like wildfire over many years. The ACDP has always been concerned that government previously made HIV/Aids a human rights issue rather than a health issue and missed opportunities to do what the Minister is attempting to do now.
The ACDP is relieved to see a decline in Aids-related mortality. It is pleased to see that this decline has significantly influenced mortality in South African children younger than five years, which has decreased by an estimated 6% to 10% since 2006. In 2005, 37% to 39% of child deaths were attributable to Aids. Increased efforts and a commitment to preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission, plus expanded availability of antiretroviral therapies, have resulted in substantial mortality decreases during the past five years. The ACDP congratulates the Minister and all role-players on their efforts in the progress made to date.
We note, however, that although the proportion of under-five deaths due to Aids has fallen to between 11% and 24%, South Africa is still not on track to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of two-thirds reduction in under- five mortalities by 2015. On the positive side, if current progress continues, the nation could meet this goal by 2020.
We have come a long way and must not lose focus now, as we still have a long way to go. At the same time, this is something we can be grateful for and proud of.
Young people are particularly susceptible, of course, to HIV infections and in many instances they carry the burden of caring for family members living with HIV/Aids. With a population of young people that is expected to double to 281 million by 2050, concerns have been raised that young people are not getting the opportunity to develop the cognitive and other skills required to successfully transition into adulthood. HIV knowledge levels among young people remain below 40%.
The United Nations, UN, agency tasked with controlling the virus that causes Aids warned on Monday that people in several African countries are using fewer condoms and having sex with more than one partner, threatening efforts to fight HIV, naming Burkina Faso, Congo, Cte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gabon, Guyana, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
On the other hand, people working in Uganda to reduce HIV/Aids have reported hearing 17-years-olds confidently saying they wanted to stay virgins until they met the right girl. They attribute this to the good work being done by teachers encouraging young people to abstain. They say songs are taught in schools, which incorporate messages about HIV/Aids and an ABC message - songs of hope and enthusiasm for Uganda and their future. I thank you.
Madam Deputy Speaker, this is 2013 and we are still faced with the serious HIV/Aids epidemic. However, much has been accomplished since world leaders met at the 2006 United Nations General Assembly. We have to accept the fact that Aids is an incurable and sexually transmitted disease. This would have achieved better results had the following been done: training of health personnel; development of national guidelines; and the establishment of supporting data gathering systems that we see of late.
With this, the UCDP wants to say: Well done, Mr Minister, you are doing your best. [Applause.] Though much still remains to be covered, services have improved consistently over the years with regard to quality and the availability of antiretrovirals, ARVs, at affordable costs; having one capsule instead of many; having more negative babies from HIV-positive mothers; as well as home-based care and adherence support.
Kgomo go bidiwa e e gogang. [Dogs only bark at a moving car.]
There are some loopholes. Great attention must be devoted to those who are difficult to reach, including rural populations like Kgokgole, Bonabona, Tsowe, Mancha and Mathateng, who make up a substantial proportion of those currently with low access to HIV services.
Groups that are at high risk of HIV infection such as sex workers, long- distance truck drivers and migrant workers should also be a major focus of attention. Effective education and Aids awareness are vital to the prevention of the spread of HIV. The encouragement of safe behaviour at the workplace and within the community is very important.
Parents, patients and everybody, please stop allowing drugs to be made out of Ritonavir, RTV. It's high time that communities be taught to be responsible for their families. South Africa is a Christian country. Communities, let's have a special day to pray for this disease. God is good and He will answer our prayers. Thank you. [Applause.]
Hon Deputy Speaker, hon Deputy President, hon members, Azapo welcomes the launch of the HIV Counselling and Testing, HCT, campaign in Parliament. HIV/Aids and noncommunicable diseases are the biggest threat to human development. While countries, including South Africa, invest a lot of money in human resource development, HIV/Aids reverses the gains by attacking the very human capital that has been developed. Azapo supports all efforts to combat the spread of HIV/Aids and other diseases.
An Aids-free generation and a healthy nation will mean that the money and other resources that go towards the treatment and care of people living with HIV/Aids will be channelled towards other developmental needs of the country. Hon Minister, we will join the campaign to encourage South Africans to test for HIV and noncommunicable diseases. We will join the queue of those who want to be tested. Thank you. [Applause.]
Hon Deputy Speaker, hon Deputy President, hon Minister, Deputy Minister and hon Members of Parliament, it always gives me great pleasure and a feeling of humility to address this House. This time even more so, because I am given an opportunity, once more, to speak on a very important matter that has always been synonymous with the health of the people of South Africa.
It is almost 41 months since the day the country and the world witnessed the launch of the HIV Counselling and Testing campaign in South Africa, in Gauteng. This is the step that set South Africa on the path of no return, as the Minister of Health and the President took the bold and ambitious step of launching one of the biggest HIV Counselling and Testing, HCT, campaigns that South Africa and the world has ever seen before.
It is this launch that got the whole world talking, because the country moved from denial to reality, from debate to action and from arguments to consensus on the prevention of diseases, especially HIV/Aids. The launch reshaped the health agenda of South Africa in so far as all preventable deceases are concerned, especially HIV.
With this launch, South Africa shaped the agenda of the world, because for the first time people realised that it is possible to be tested. Yhe head of state, in the person of President Jacob Zuma, led from the front by being tested and declaring the results of his HIV test in public. This great leader of our people used the opportunity to demystify the myth and fears around HIV testing. The President truly lived up to the slogan of this government, "Together, we can do more". He demonstrated that, together with him in the forefront, the country can do more.
As Members of Parliament, we go to our villages, not only for constituency work, but to join men and women who live there. We have seen the way our people are ravaged by preventable deceases such as HIV, tuberculosis, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, etc. We have seen helpless young men and women suffer from these illnesses. Some have lost their sight, others their limbs; some are on insulin; and others are on the directly observed therapy support. Many young lives have been lost due to HIV/Aids. We have buried many people, to the point where it is now common for people to ask the question. Who is next? We cannot allow a situation where people die from these preventable and, at times, curable diseases.
With this launch, we are taking a step that will become a lasting legacy for generations to come. This is the best thing that can help to define what this House stands for. This House must be an embodiment of transparency. By doing this publicly, we are showing that we can be transparent, even with our own private lives. In this way, we will earn the respect of our electorate.
I am certain that hon members know how fulfilling it is to know their status. It is fulfilling to know where you stand so that you can take steps to either prevent new diseases or to live positively and take care of yourself and not complicate your life from the diseases that you may already have. The benefits of the HTC campaign are manifold. One thing that comes to mind is that early detection assists early treatment. In that way, there will be zero complications.
Those who know their illnesses also know their treatment, and how to live with them. When people know their status, they also know how to avoid any action that may complicate their lives. They know better than those who have not been tested. Testing for any disease is a powerful tool that people use to ensure that they stay healthy. Those who are found to have a disease of one kind or another live better.
The benefit of HIV testing is that members will be more empowered and be in a better position to know where they stand with the particular disease. This testing is one of many ways of ensuring that the vision of the Department of Health for a long and healthy life is attained. Remember an old adage, that a journey of many miles starts with a single step. This simple and single step that looks very insignificant will go a long way to ensure that we are also part of the brigade that takes a vow that a long and healthy life is not a dream, but is attainable.
As we are going to launch this campaign, I am more than confident that this will liberate many of us who thought that we were healthy whilst we were not. It will set us free from fear, free from poor management of our lives, looking for a solution in wrong places, and free from wondering what is happening with our bodies.
As we take the test today, or perhaps tomorrow and many other days to come, we will be freeing ourselves and someone who looks up to us, because they want to see their leaders going first before they follow. Perhaps we should make this a six-monthly exercise to ensure that we stay healthy. Those who have one disease or another can then seek help in time.
This is what has driven this government to seeing the need to invest in the prevention of diseases and the promotion of good health. We will thereby keep many of our people out of hospital, because they will know ahead of time that they need care.
It is my sincere and very firm view that the health system of this country will stand and fall on the prevention of diseases and the promotion of health. As such, today when we take the test, we will be on the path of preventing diseases. This is what the ANC as a ruling party saw a long time ago - that unless we prevent diseases, life expectancy will not improve.
Why don't we adopt an attitude that says, whenever we talk to South Africans, we should encourage them to take the test. Whenever we greet people, we should say, I have been tested, have you? I am saying to you, I have been tested - have you? We can lead the HIV testing process in our constituencies to ensure that what the Minister has said is really taking place. Remember that while you are doing it as a leader, for people to follow, you are also doing it for yourselves, for your own sake, for your family, and for the sake of your children. Your family and community love you. So, know as I do: better life, long life, healthy life and great life begins with you; the time is now and now is the time. In conclusion, as Members of Parliament we should start talking very vocally about moral regeneration, moral renewal and behavioural change as a tool in the fight against HIV/Aids. We are not supposed to come and stand here and try to score political points. When we talk about HIV testing, we should do it together as South Africans. Therefore, we must take this forward. Let us all go and be tested. Thank you. [Applause.]
Debate concluded.