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Global audience for HIV/AIDS project
12 June 2003. Cape Argus. Republished courtesy of Independent Newspapers (Pty) Ltd.
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Khayelitsha's anti-retroviral treatment plan for patients with HIV/AIDS is set for international exposure with the invitation by the World Bank to a University of Cape Town public health specialist to present details of the project to a world audience.
Dr David Coetzee, senior specialist in the School of Public Health and Primary Health Care, will present to an international audience lessons learned in the pilot project, an invitation reflecting its world recognition. The project, and specifically the evaluation of its operations and effectiveness, is a partnership between UCT, Medécins sans Frontieres, and the Western Cape health department.
Coetzee said the invitation reflected international recognition of the importance of this project in being able to answer questions about anti-retroviral treatment in resource-poor settings, in this instance about patient adherence to treatment and the prevention of drug resistance.
"This project can be expected to play a similar role nationally in providing answers to questions about how the South African public sector can provide the critical component of anti-retroviral therapy as part of its HIV/AIDS strategy," he said.
The World Bank said in its letter to Coetzee that they were "moving forward" in addressing anti-retroviral treatment and access, launching programmes through their Multi-Country HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Programmes, in resource-poor settings, with particular emphasis on Africa and the Caribbean.
They wanted his advice on how best to develop and implement ARV treatment programmes in the light of the serious issue of adherence, to avoid the potential emergence of drug-resistant HIV.
De Beers, through Aid for AIDS, is to introduce an anti-retroviral programme for HIV-infected employees, following on the successful roll-out of the Debswana ARV programme.
Statistics, the company said, showed that providing anti-retroviral therapy for HIV-infected employees could dramatically affect a company's long-term financial success.
Rodney Cowlin, Aid for AIDS managing director, said the size and complexity of an organisation such as De Beers had presented some challenges, but that these had been overcome.
Employees would access the programme through a network of doctors around the country, trained by Aid for AIDS, to assure access to optimal care.
New pledges from European donors to support the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, announced in Geneva last week are not enough, and donors must contribute another $3bn by the end of next year.
That's the word from the fund which last week got new contributions to the value of $1.2bn, from the European Commission, France, Italy and the United Kingdom.
The board of the fund said more support was needed to allow it to respond to all requests for assistance. The fund implored donors to contribute an additional $3bn by the end of 2004.
For anyone anxious to make lifestyle changes, the Sports Science Institute of South Africa's "Healthy Weight 8-week Programme" may be the answer. The programme is a scientifically-based way to reduce or manage weight through education, exercise, diet and psychological consultation.
It includes fun exercise classes for beginners, group motivation sessions, individualised nutrition plans and lifestyle patterning.
The next information sessions are on June 18, either at 9am or 5.45pm, at the Institute in Boundary Road, Newlands. For more information call 021 659 5700. |
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