NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO. 2297
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 20 NOVEMBER 2009
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 29)
Mr P F Smith (IFP) to ask the Minister of Health:
What has been or is the response of his department to the challenge facing
those afflicted by HIV/Aids who rely upon the public health system but do
not have access to state-supplied antiretrovirals (ARVs) and other
appropriate interventions?
NW2763E
REPLY:
Not all people with HIV require antiretrovirals. The current policy is that
only those patients with CD4<200 and those in stages 3 and 4 are eligible
for ARVs. The Department of Health attempts, within available resources to
ensure that all patients that qualify are initiated in ARVs. With respect
to other appropriate interventions â namely treatment for opportunistic
infections â these patients are treated as any other patient would be by
the public health sector. This means that any patient that needs treatment
for opportunistic infections, including TB is able to access such
treatment.
END.