2 December 2002

As World Aids Day was marked by millions around the world on December 1, South Africans took heart from new evidence that its campaigns targeting young people are starting to pay off.

The latest report of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/Aids (UNAIDS), released in late November 2002, notes that the prevalence of HIV in teenagers has decreased from 1998 to 2001. Whereas 21% of pregnant women under 20 were HIV-positive in 1998, only 15.4% of this group were HIV-positive in 2001.

Notes the report: “This, along with the drop in syphilis rates among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics – down to 2.8% in 2001, from 11.2% four years earlier – suggests that awareness campaigns and prevention programmes are bearing fruit.”

However, with HIV-infection rates among older pregnant women continuing to rise, the challenge to combat HIV/Aids is as great as ever.

Many intiatives target the youth
loveLife, an NGO targeting youth in the prevention of HIV/Aids with a massive nationwide media campaign promoting healthy choices around sex, health services and outreach programmes for youth, is one of many initiatives targeting youth.

Others include Soul City – which has developed award-winning television programmes aimed at youth – and life skills educational programmes devised by the government. All must also receive credit for the growing awareness of HIV/Aids among youth.

But, according to loveLife CEO David Harrison, the statistics should be viewed with caution: “We’ll know for sure that programmes are worth it when there is a sharp decline in HIV prevalence among the 15-to-20-year-olds in several years to come.” Government is giving R750-million to loveLife over a three-year period.

The UNAIDS report commends various developments around the continent pointing to more streamlined government strategies to combat the disease. So far 19 African countries have set up top-level national HIV/Aids councils or commissions, and 40 countries have developed national strategic Aids plans in their determination to reach the HIV/Aids reduction targets outlined in the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/Aids.

More local initiatives
“Also encouraging is the active involvement of regional bodies, such as the Economic Commission for Africa, the Africa Union, and the Southern African Development Community, in tackling HIV/Aids as a development issue,” says the report.

Another positive development listed by the report is the growing number (and strength) of local initiatives to combat Aids.

The report welcomed initiatives to provide antiretrovirals on a greater scale. In October, during the launch of its Campaign of Hope, Cabinet acknowledged that antiretrovirals could “improve the condition of people living with Aids”, and said government was exploring ways “to make it feasible and effective to use antiretrovirals in the public health sector.”

A string of companies, including Anglo American, De Beers, Anglo Gold, Old Mutual, Debswana and Heinkeken, are now providing anti-retroviral medicines to employees and their families. The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) has devised a plan with the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) calling for widespread availability of antiretrovirals in the public health sector.

Antiretrovirals not a cure
However, despite mounting pressure for the provision of these medicines, new evidence came to light at the 14th International Aids Conference in July that antiretrovirals, while able to slow the onset of the disease, cannot cure the virus, because of its ability to mutate so rapidly. According to researcher Robert Siliciano of John Hopkins University in Baltimore, “HIV is intrinsically incurable with antiretroviral therapy alone.”

Thus the pressure to find a vaccine against the virus is even greater. Unfortunately, the phase one vaccine trial, expected to start this year in South Africa, has been delayed to next year. However, in the meantime, more advanced trials in the US and Thailand offer some hope.

In the absence of a vaccine, prevention is the best defence against the spread of the disease. According to a recent survey conducted by the national health department, there has been a 20% increase in the number of South Africans who view themselves as being at risk of contracting HIV/Aids, pointing to the likelihood of more people beginning to adopt safer sexual practices.

The survey found that most people interviewed were clued up on the disease and that condom use by youths had increased.

(Sources: BuaNews; Health-e)

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Aids Helpline 0800 012 322 Frightened, confused by Aids? South Africa's national Aids Helpline offers multi-lingual, 24-hour, toll-free assistance by trained counsellors accessing the most current data available through a computerised call centre. Backed up by the Aids Helpline website.

HIV/AIDS SA ONLINE Government sites AidsInfo Extensive info on government HIV/Aids programmes, legislation, initiatives, news and links. South African Aids Directory Government's HIV/Aids search engine, with a good selection of links, including a list of university-based projects and programmes. Department of Health General information on the department, including info on its HIV/Aids and STDs directorates, and links to local and international Aids organisations. Medical Research Council of SA Up-to-date research, articles, and a special Aids section which includes the latest information on Aids vaccine research. Non-governmental sites Aids Consortium Up-to-date news, huge database of books and articles, topical research and links. Aids Foundation of SA A wealth of general information about Aids in SA, with contacts and links. HIVSA An ngo offering social support to people attending the Perinatal HIV Research Unit in Soweto. Planned Parenthood Association The organisation conducts research and training on sexual and reproductive health and STD/Aids prevention and treatment. Red Ribbon Information on the range of HIV/Aids-related issues, from research to statistics to personal stories and money matters. Health Economics & Aids Research Division University of Natal organisation which conducts research and training on the economic and social impact of HIV/Aids. Centre for the Study of Aids University of Pretoria site, with discussion forums and articles for debate. Child HIV/Aids Services Directory of organisations around the country dealing with children affected by HIV/Aids, commissioned by UK-based Save the Children. National Association of People Living with HIV/Aids The organisation advocates on behalf of, informs and empowers people living with HIV/Aids. Treatment Action Campaign The TAC's main objective is to campaign for affordable treatment for people with HIV. The TAC also lobbies against Aids being regarded as a death sentence. AfroAidsInfo A sub-site of SAHealthInfo, a network on SA health, this site contains plenty of up-to-date news on HIV/Aids, a calender of upcoming conferences and current policy debates. Global sites Aids Education Global Information System The most comprehensive HIV/Aids web site in the world, updated every hour. National Institute for Health US government site with extensive information on the link between HIV and AIDS. The Body A large HIV/Aids information and resource site.