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Nevirapine sent to 49 hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal
Sipho Khumalo. 27 August 2003. The Mercury. Republished courtesy of Independent Newspapers (Pty) Ltd.
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Nevirapine is being distributed to all 49 hospitals which offer maternity services in KwaZulu-Natal.
This was announced by the Health Minister, Zweli Mkhize, in his report on women-related issues tabled in the legislature in Pietermaritzburg yesterday.
Mkhize said this Nevirapine roll-out programme was also now available in seven of the 10 community health centres and 228 of the 425 primary health care clinics.
"The programme is now available in more than 15 facilities in each of the 11 districts," said Mkhize.
About 104 800 pregnant women had received pre-test counselling over the past two years and approximately 78 600 (75%) had volunteered to be tested for HIV, he said.
A total of 28 753 women tested positive (37%), of whom 25 692 came back for their results and were aware of their status, said Mkhize.
"They have been counselled accordingly, 15 342 (60%) of these and 98% of their babies (15 071) have received Nevirapine," said Mkhize.
He said the major challenge facing this programme was the poor attendance of mothers and children at the clinics.
Children's status "Children born to these mothers will need to be tested for their HIV status at 12 months because testing is not reliable earlier.
"Although more than 3 000 babies turned a year old, only 32% of these children have been tested," he said. Of 921 children tested, 59 tested positive, 828 tested negative and 34 were with indeterminate results, he said.
With regard to the rolling out of anti-retroviral treatment, Mkhize acknowledged it would take several years to train all clinical staff and reach all those who deserved treatment. The national cabinet recently announced that it would make available anti-retrovirals throughout the country.
Mkhize said a special team has been set up to start working towards the roll-out of the anti-retrovirals. "We believe KwaZulu-Natal can soon start in a few selected sites, which may offer referral points for other parts of the province that may not be ready to start treatment. "We will improve as we work," he said. |
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