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S-Africa Province Denies Aids Patients Meds Due to Money Issues
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by Miriam Mannak | December 11, 2008 at 03:14 am
259 views | 49 Recommendations | 9 comments
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Due to financial constraints within the provincial health department of the Free State - one of South Africa's nine provinces - new Aids patients will be refused anti-retroviral treatment.
Four the next four months, no new patients who develop AIDS will be receiving the medication that s crucial in prolonging the lives of those infected with the HIV virus and / or suffering from AIDS.
According to a spokesperson of the Free State Treasury the provincial authorities are committed to find a "lasting and positive solutions to this problem".
Last month national health minister Barbara Hogan, who recently took over the wheel from her controversial predecessor Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, ordered for R9,5-million (900.000 USD) to be immediately sent to the province to pay for ARV treatment.
This was after the national government received various complaints of patients who claimed they were being turned away from provincial medical facilities.
Hogan also sent a team from the national Health Department to find out about the problems.
Experts have warned that delays in providing ARV treatment to those who require it, has cost thousands of lives so far. An article in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes estimated the loss of life in South Africa as a result of slow roll -out of ARVs to be 330 000.
They also said 35 000 babies were born HIV-positive due to the failure to implement the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV programme.
All the provinces in South Africa receive a conditional contribution from central government for a Comprehensive HIV and Aids Grant. This money may not be spent on anything else then on AIDS and HIV related matters.
The Free State received R189-million (1,9 million USD) for the 2008/9 financial year.
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (9)
at 03:30 on December 11th, 2008
That should not ever be allowed to deny any one basic treatments. 35000 children... 1.9 million USD is noting to combat HIV and yet the cost of it consequences will cost the Government by far more.
at 03:46 on December 11th, 2008
Thanks Paschen, for your comment. Yes, it is very sad, especially since the national government has stuck out a helping hand. I just wonder where this money has gone to as 900 000 USD is a lot of money.
The problem s that in South Africa, you can only get ARV treatment provided by government (thus for free) if your CD4-count (a measure of immune system strength) falls below 200. In Europe this is 350. The problem is you fall below 200, and do not get your treatment on time, your CD4 count keeps on falling. And 4 months is a very loooong time to wait for crucial treatment that can prolong your life.
at 03:52 on December 11th, 2008
It is a very long time in deed, even to long for any one that know the HIV virus and how fast AIDS can kill once developed. Good Post, Thank you.
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Flüge (not verified)at 08:26 on December 11th, 2008
It's just sad, that there could have been something against but noone did it. 35.000 babies born infected, this is a mess!!!
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panzerlawyerat 08:36 on December 11th, 2008
AIDS is very expensive. Just think if these people would utilize safe sex procedures and not be so morally crooked, this would have ended long ago.
at 10:38 on December 11th, 2008
What an asinine remark. Is it just South Africans with AIDS who are "morally crooked"? If so, is it just the black ones?
at 23:58 on December 11th, 2008
I am sorry Panzer Lawyer??? I cannot believe you are actually saying this. And I am not even going to reply to your stupid and thoughtless remarks that are based on zero knowledge on the situation.
at 09:10 on December 11th, 2008
This is so sad.
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southafrica myhome (not verified)at 10:28 on December 11th, 2008
Our own president denied the AIDS-HIV link, and our own health minister claimed that HIV could be cured with garlic. Our foundation for dealing with the AIDS epidemic is very shaky indeed.