scholarly journals HIV Treatment, Prevention, Surveillance and Patient Monitoring in South Africa

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Williams
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Initial Response ◽  
Hiv Treatment ◽  
Hiv And Aids ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Emergency Plan ◽  
Individual Patient Level ◽  
Care And Support ◽  
The Government

South Africa is afflicted with the worst epidemic of HIV in the world a legacy of the system of oscillating migrant labour in the region and the consequent social disruption that was the legacy of Apartheid. The initial response from the national government was slow and ineffective but once the magnitude of the epidemic became apparent the government began to respond. The investment in HIV- and TB-related activities in 2013 was R22 Bn or (US$2.5; 2013 exchange rate) of which the South Africa government contributed 80% and the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) 17%. South Africa now has the more people on anti-retroviral therapy than any other country and treatment is being started much sooner after infection. Much of the best biomedical, virological, immunological, mathematical and social science around the treatment and prevention of HIV and AIDS and the associated epidemic of TB has been done by South African’s and their international collaborators. If the efforts to control the epidemic are maintained South Africa is on track to meet the UNAIDS 90-90-90target by 2020 and to End AIDS by 2030 in spite of the magnitude of the problem. While individual, patient level data are increasingly available, especially in the Western Cape, much greater efforts need to be made to ensure that the information collected in this way is used to give feedback and support to clinic staff, to ensure that health clinics are providing the best possible service, and to individual patients and people living with HIV to ensure that they are receiving the best possible care and support. South Africa needs to make better use of the rich and detailed data that are being collected from individual clinics and their patients to identify problems or difficulties at the clinic level and to ensure that individual patients are retained on treatment, are virally suppressed and receive the best possible care and support.

‘What will it take’: addressing alcohol use among people living with HIV in South Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (11) ◽  
pp. 1049-1054 ◽  
Author(s):  
K Sorsdahl ◽  
NK Morojele ◽  
CD Parry ◽  
CT Kekwaletswe ◽  
N Kitleli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Brief Intervention ◽  
Hiv Treatment ◽  
Hiv And Aids ◽  
Hiv Care ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Screening And Brief Intervention ◽  
Treatment Services ◽  
Living With Hiv

Given that hazardous and harmful alcohol use has been identified as a significant barrier to adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) in South Africa, alcohol reduction interventions delivered within HIV treatment services are being investigated. Prior to designing and implementing an alcohol-focused screening and brief intervention (SBI), we explored patients’ perceptions of alcohol as a barrier to HIV treatment, the acceptability of providing SBIs for alcohol use within the context of HIV services and identifying potential barriers to patient uptake of this SBI. Four focus groups were conducted with 23 participants recruited from three HIV treatment sites in Tshwane, South Africa. Specific themes that emerged included: (1) barriers to ART adherence, (2) available services to address problematic alcohol use and (3) barriers and facilitators to delivering a brief intervention to address alcohol use within HIV care. Although all participants in the present study unanimously agreed that there was a great need for SBIs to address alcohol use among people living with HIV and AIDS, our study identified several areas that should be considered prior to implementing such a programme.

Stigma and disclosure as barriers to regular dental care for people living with HIV/AIDS in Kwazulu-Natal and Western Cape, South Africa

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mervyn Turton ◽  
Sudeshni Naidoo
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Oral Health ◽  
Oral Health Care ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Stigma And Discrimination ◽  
Health Care Experiences ◽  
Living With Hiv

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine the oral health care experiences of people living with HIV in Kwazulu-Natal (KZN) and the Western Cape (WC) and also to identify the role of stigma and discrimination in the oral health care experiences for people living with HIV in KZN and the WC. Design/methodology/approach – This study was a survey among HIV-positive people attending selected Community Health Centres and regional hospitals, HIV clinics in KZN and WC provinces in South Africa. The sample consisted of people living with HIV that were 18 years or older and who had given written, informed consent. A cross-sectional study structure has been employed using a standardized format using a semi-structured interview and an administered questionnaire to collect data. The study classified participants as living in metropolitan or non-metropolitan areas. Findings – Apprehension of loss of confidentiality, stigma and discrimination were the barriers that deterred participants from seeking care. Respondents stated that they feared what the dentist and staff would think of them being HIV positive and feared being discriminated against by the dentist and staff. In some instances there appears to be a difference between policy and practice regarding the oral health care needs of and services rendered to people living with HIV in public health facilities as there are still patients who do not obtain care and for whom the attitudes of the health care provider constitutes the major barrier to accessing that care. Research limitations/implications – The results are specific to KZN and WC and have to be extrapolated with caution to the rest of South Africa. Additionally, this study did not have a control group of HIV-negative people which would have enabled one to determine whether certain barriers were unique to people living with HIV. Practical implications – To make recommendations with respect to addressing the issue of stigma and discrimination in the oral health care experiences for people living with HIV in KZN and the WC as there is a definite need for the government to address the resource needs of rural areas and less developed areas of South Africa. Health care is a much-needed resource in these high prevalence areas and governments must ensure that all their HIV/AIDS projects and policies should have a rural component built into them. Social implications – This study emphasizes the importance of embracing people that are being discriminated and marginalized by society such as people living with HIV to ensure that they feel a franchised member of society who can take the initiative to be in control of their own health and, with the necessary aid from public resources and societal support, join forces to reduce the public health burden and its impact on the socio-economic milieu. Originality/value – To the best of the author's knowledge, there is no other study that has compared differences in the use of oral health care services by people with HIV in South Africa and these results serve as an indication of some the important issues in this regard.

South Africa’s Key Health Challenges

2014 ◽  
Vol 652 (1) ◽  
pp. 166-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan Whiteside
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Economic Development ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Transition To Democracy ◽  
Noncommunicable Diseases ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
South Africans ◽  
Aids Epidemic ◽  
The Government ◽  
Living With Hiv

South Africa has an estimated 6.4 million people living with HIV, with more than 2 million already on treatment. The disease emerged in South Africa at the same time as the transition to democracy began in 1990. Although the country has seen considerable advances in many social spheres, the health sector has lagged. This lag is primarily because the HIV/AIDS epidemic results in an increased burden of disease in a cohort of people who would otherwise be healthy. This article warns that the all-pervasive nature of the epidemic will put other areas of development at risk. With economic development come new threats to the health of South Africans, including noncommunicable diseases and environmental change. Service delivery remains a challenge for the government at all levels, and the demands of not only South Africans but of migrants and refugees need to be considered.

scholarly journals An Overview of Internet Developments and their Impact on E-Government in South Africa

2010 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Goonasagree Naidoo ◽  
S. Singh ◽  
Niall Levine
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Provincial Government ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Department Of Justice ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Efficient System ◽  
Government Sector ◽  
Global Trend ◽  
The Government

The usage of the internet has grown over recent years in South Africa but at a very slow rate. This is the result of several challenges facing the growth of the Internet in South Africa. These challenges are mostly related to the lack of infrastructure for the Internet, high cost of computer technology and service provider challenges. The paper provides an overview of the Internet usage and its impact on E-Government in South Africa. It examines regulatory issues pertaining to the Internet. It also examines Internet growth in the business and government sectors. In the government sector, the Cape Online Strategy, is an initiative by the provincial government of the Western Cape in SA, is an example of a global trend towards greater levels of interactivity between government and citizens. This initiative is an excellent example of how Web-based solutions can be used to deliver certain services to citizens. Another excellent example is an E-justice initiative undertaken by the Department of Justice. The initiative aims at promoting a more efficient system of Justice in SA. The paper also provides an overview of the challenges to Internet adoption in South Africa.

scholarly journals The role of the church members and nurses in improving self-awareness to prevent HIV

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (s1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elysabeth Sinulingga ◽  
Agung Waluyo
Keyword(s):  
Hiv And Aids ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Church Members ◽  
Descriptive Phenomenology ◽  
Protestant Church ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Church ◽  
Hiv Aids

Background: Karo District is one of the districts in North Sumatera province where from 2016 to 2018 the number of HIV sufferers increased dramatically to 384 people and then it increased to 775 people up to September 2020. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of people with HIV/AIDS and the experiences of the church members regarding people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA).Design and Methods: Qualitative research design with descriptive phenomenology approach. Data collection was carried out by interviewing 34 participants in Karo District. The data analysis in this study used the Collaizi technique.Results: Five themes were obtained from the results of the study, namely the responses of the participants diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, health problems faced by PLWHA, stigma and discrimination, the support of family and church members given to PWLHA, and family/church members' expectations toward PLWHA.Conclusions: Based on the findings of the themes, the role of the National AIDS Commission of Moderamen Karo Batak Protestant Church (GBKP) in responding to HIV and AIDS cannot be optimally implemented because of some obstacles namely, localization which is a determinant of the spread of cases, the unavailability of service and ARV in all health centers, lack of sectoral cross-cooperation, very insufficient financial support from the government, the role of nurses played only in the hospitals and the stigmatism to those people with HIV/AIDS due to lack of knowledge of HIV and AIDS.

Determinants of Gender Disparities in Scaling Up the First 90 Towards the UNAIDS 90-90-90 Targets in South Africa: Findings From the 2017 Household-based National Cross-sectional Survey

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean Jooste ◽  
Musawenkosi Mabaso ◽  
Myra Taylor ◽  
Alicia North ◽  
Yolande Shean ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Hiv Treatment ◽  
Hiv Positive ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Hiv Status ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Primary Level ◽  
Treatment Cascade

Abstract Background: The first 90 of UNAIDS 90–90–90 targets to have 90% of the people living with HIV know their status is an important entry point to the HIV treatment cascade and care continuum, but evidence shows that there is a large gap between males and females in this regard. It is therefore important to understand barriers and facilitators of achieving the first 90 target. This study examined determinants of the first 90 target among females and males in order to inform strategies aimed at improving the HIV cascade in South Africa.Methods: The data used in the analysis were obtained from a 2017 household-based cross-sectional nationally representative survey conducted using a multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling design. A series of hierarchical multiple logistic regression models were fitted to identify the determinants of the first 90 target by gender.Results: Overall, 84.8% of HIV-positive individuals aged 15 years and older were aware of their HIV status. Females were significantly more aware of their HIV status compared to males (88.7% vs 78.2%, p<0.001). Both females aged 25 to 49 years [aOR=3.20 (95% CI: 1.35–7.57), p=0.008], and 50 years and older [aOR=3.19 (95% CI: 1.04–9.76), p=0.042] and males aged 25 to 49 years [aOR=3.00 (95% CI: 1.13–7.97), p=0.028], and 50 years and older [aOR=7.25 (95% CI: 2.07–25.36), p=0.002] were significantly more likely to know their HIV status compared to those aged 15 to 19 years. Males with tertiary education level were significantly more likely to be aware of their HIV positive status [aOR=75.24 (95% CI: 9.07–624.26), p<0.001] compared to those with no education or with primary level education. Females with secondary [aOR=3.28 (95% CI: 1.20–8.99), p=0.021] and matric [aOR=4.35 (95% CI: 1.54–12.37), p=0.006] educational levels were significantly more likely to be aware of their HIV positive status, compared to those with no education or with primary level education.Conclusion: Significant progress has been made with regards to reaching the UNAIDS first 90 target. In this context achieving the first 90 target is feasible but there is a need for additional interventions to reach the males especially youth including those with no education or low levels of education.

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