Joe Phaahla's ambitious aim is to get 1.4-million HIV patients on treatment

At least 1.4-million people need to get on to HIV-Aids treatment in the country, if government were to achieve its ambitious target outlined in the global aids strategy.

This is according to health minister Joe Phaahla who was speaking at the opening of the 11th annual aids conference at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban on Tuesday evening.

The target calls for 95% of people living with HIV-Aids to know their status, 95% of all people living with the disease to be on antiretroviral treatment, and 95% of those on antiretroviral therapy to have viral suppression.

“In the remaining 18 months we have to accelerate our efforts to achieve that,” said Phaahla.

In KwaZulu-Natal, four districts — uMzinyathi, uMkhanyakude, Harry Gwala and uGu — had made gains in realising that goal.

The rest of the country was, however, lagging in meeting the targets in respect of men and children under the age of 15. This necessitates the need to have more people on treatment.

The conference, held under the theme of Act, Connect and Epidemic, brings together researchers, scientists and civil society and ends on June 23.

Provincial health MEC Nomagugu Simelane said though the government had done its bit to raise awareness on the pandemic, teenage pregnancy and infections were still rife. She said in exploring ways to counter the trends the department had found that some of the messages had become stale.

“Some of the messages have been there since I was a teenager. It's no longer relevant,” she said.

As a result, the department had embarked on a campaign to attract  the youth by using vernacular messages.

“Among the audacious marketing strategies is the billboard message which reads 'iskoon siyabulala' — unprotected sex is deadly. We are straight to the point.

“Some are very angry with the messaging but we have started a discussion with them through that message which is what we wanted intended to do ,” said Simelane. 

eThekwini municipality mayor Mxolisi Kaunda said out of 500,000 people living with HIV-Aids in the city, 450,000 are on anti-retro viral treatment.

Despite these gains the city had not been left untouched by the challenges brought about Covid-19 where people have are languishing in poverty as they are unable to buy food for themselves.

“We have intervened in this regard by setting up nutritional centres in most wards. In the next financial year, which begins in July, more than 111 will benefit as we call on people to make use of this intervention,” said Kaunda.

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