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The 600 new HIV infections in South Africa every day should be a health emergency.
According to the Treatment Action Campaign, commenting on the latest findings from the fifth South African national survey on the prevalence, incidence, behavior and communication of HIV conducted by the Health Science Research Council.
The results of the survey were released Tuesday.
"While politicians celebrate, we can not afford to do so while the epidemic is still raging in our communities and the health systems that are supposed to be helping us are in the process of becoming established. You do not celebrate while your house is still burning, "said Anele Yawa, Secretary General of ATC.
The survey was conducted on households in South Africa between January and December. December 2017.
More than 33,000 people were involved, 24,000 of whom agreed to be tested for HIV The board reported a 44% drop in the incidence rate, with 231,100 new HIV infections reported in 2017.
Women aged 15-24 were the most affected population group, according to the survey, "where the number of new infections were three times higher higher than their male counterparts. "
S & P Speaking at the launch of the probe in Pretoria, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said the reason for the decline in new HIV infections was due to the large number of people on antiretrovirals and viral suppression.
"Our plans are to increase the number of people on ARVs to more than six million by the end of 2020," said Motsoaledi.
The TAC argued that for South Africa to reduce the rate of infection, the priority should be that everyone know their HIV status and have access to treatment.
"When someone is stable on antiretroviral therapy and the virus is suppressed in their body, it is no longer contagious, so getting more people into treatment is actually One of the most effective ways to prevent new HIV infections, "Yawa said.
He also pointed out that the sick health system in the country needed to be repaired. [Traduction] "To make all this possible, we will need to repair our broken and corrupt provincial health systems and turn our clinics into places where everyone is comfortable and where only high-quality care and care are lavished ".
A key campaign conducted by the TAC is to monitor the response to HIV and TB in South Africa, and Yawa said its members are working closely with poor people living with HIV and relying on the public health system. so they are the first to notice when it does not work. "
UNAIDS has set as its goal, by 2020, that 90% of people living with HIV know their status, 90% people who know that they are on antiretroviral therapy and 90% of people living with HIV on anti-retroviral therapy.
With the target 90-90-90 in place, South Africa hoped to reach at least one of these targets.
"The study found that 85% of people living with HIV aged 15 to 64 years have been tested for HIV and know their HIV status, 71% under ART and 86% under ART "If the government keeps its promise of an ambitious new HIV testing campaign, it is likely that we will reach the top 90 by the year 2020.
" However, given the crisis in our public health system, it will be very difficult to ensure that 90% of people Onnes diagnosed with HIV receive sustained antiretroviral therapy by 2020, as required by the second 90.
"On our current trajectory, we will fail," says Yawa.
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