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North West HIV/AIDS shocker
Lieze Du Preez. Die Beeld. 19 November 2002. Republished courtesy of News24.com
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More people in the Klerksdorp-Orkney-Stilfontein-Hartbeesfontein area are infected with the HI-virus than the total HIV-positive population of Botswana, which has about 170 000 citizens infected with the virus.
A group of doctors recently met to discuss the massive impact that HIV/AIDS has on the local community. Estimates are that 180 000 of the 500 000 people in the so-called Kosh area are infected with the virus. The disease is especially prevalent among mineworkers, sex workers and truck drivers.
The rate of HIV/AIDS infections in the province has increased to 25.2%. The health department's annual report indicates that the disease is most common in the Potchefstroom/Klerksdorp area (33.5%).
The organisation Kosh Cope @ AIDS has determined that there are at least 170 households in the area that are run by children because their parents succumbed to the disease.
Nico Kritzinger, co-ordinator of Kosh Cope @ AIDS,
says the economic impact of the disease can't be emphasised enough and much more will have to be done to address the current rate of infections and deaths every year.
"We want to take on the disease and the challenges as a united community, working with existing organisations."
Kritzinger says high-risk patients are "healthy young people" these days, compared to years ago when doctors used to see old people.
Figures provided by the Tshepong/Klerksdorp hospital complex indicate that 75% of patients in local state hospitals are infected with the disease.
The soaring infection rate is placing enormous pressure on an already strained health system.
Between 800 and 1 000 patients are admitted to the two hospitals every month. This means of the 25 to 35 new patients a day.
The number of outpatients has also increased from between 100 and 120 patients per day in 2001, to 140 to 160 this year.
Between 130 and 150 patients die in the medical wards every month. Of these deaths, 80% are HIV/AIDS related.
Dr Ebrahim Variava says a large number of the patients (75%) are already at an advanced stage of the disease when they are diagnosed.
"HIV/AIDS will become a large part of the expenses incurred by health services. Tuberculosis services and recoveries may deteriorate because of this."
The "unprepared health sector, staff members and communities" are under pressure because of long queues, as more sick people arrive at hospitals without appointments and doctors have to spend less time with every patient. |
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