Modern, Growing, Successful Province

World Aids Day

Speech by Premier of the Northern Cape, Ms Hazel Jenkins at the occasion of the World AIDS Day commemoration in Kimberley, Frances Baard District – Northern Cape

We welcome all present here today to keep the candle of hope and compassion burning and keep the promise that we have made that we will defeat HIV and AIDS. Today we celebrate World AIDS Day under the theme: “I am responsible, We are responsible, South-Africa is taking responsibility”.

Sneakers

Today, we are renewing our pledge and commitment as government and civil society to refocus our energy and resources towards the fight against HIV and AIDS. The theme encourages everyone to take personal and collective responsibility to stop new HIV infections, provide care and support to those living with HIV and to ensure access to treatment for all people in need.

Overhauling of the national health system has been identified by government as a key aspect. This will assist government in attaining our health priorities for the next five years. A ten point plan for the health sector has been drawn up and among these priorities is the accelerated implementation of the HIV and AIDS strategic plan, the need to address the co-infection of TB/HIV and to increase governments focus on the high burden of disease.


President Jacob Zuma in his State of the Nation Address stated that: “to improve public healthcare provision, government’s main aims are to boost human resource capacity, revitalize hospitals amd clinics and step up the fight against the scourge of HIV,AIDS, TB and other diseases”.

Ladies and gentlemen, the National Strategic Plan(NSP) for HIV, AIDS and STI’s 2007-2011 forms part of Government’s aim is to reduce the rate of new HIV infections by fifty percent(50%) by the year 2011 and reach eighty percent (80%) of those in need of ARV treatment also by 2011. The NSP is based on four important pillars that allows us to formulate and implement the necessary intervention in our fight against HIV and AIDS - prevention, treatment, care and support, human rights and access to social justice and monitoring, research and surveillance. On 17 November 2009, the Northern Cape Provincial AIDS Council adopted the Provincial Strategic Plan for HIV, AIDS and STI’s to ensure alignment with the NSP.

Government aims, through the NSP and PSP, to strengthen and build on existing relationships with strategic role-players to ensure better coordination in our fight against HIV and AIDS. In addition to our health professionals, especially the nurses who do extraordinary work under challenging conditions in caring for patients suffering from HIV infections and TB, we want to recognize the Home Based Care workers across the province. We, as government want to use this platform to applaud them and encourage them to continue with their good work.

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