HIV infection rate in babies drops in Gauteng

Pretoria - The HIV infection rate in newborn babies has decreased by more than half in Gauteng, says the provincial Department of Health and Social Development.

Departmental spokesperson Simon Zwane said the infection rate has drop from 11.6% to 2.3% through the implementation of health services for pregnant women.

Zwane said the programme encouraged expectant mothers to attend antenatal classes so that complications were detected in the early stages of pregnancy.

"Continuous public education, awareness and door-to-door campaigns also assisted in reducing the infection rate," said Zwane.

Already, the department has 340 clinics and hospitals which provide ART with trained, professional nurses to initiate and maintain ongoing ART programmes.

Gauteng recently hosted an Aids summit, where plans to implement the National Strategic Plan on HIV, STIs and TB 2012-2016 were thrashed out. 

The summit focused on ways of addressing social and structural barriers to HIV, STIs and TB prevention; sustaining health and wellness; increasing protection of human rights and improving access to justice. 

Some of the proposals at the summit, Zwane said, related to issues of accessibility of HIV services at all public health facilities at extended working hours; effective life skills content in schools that will teach individuals to make informed decisions and the right choices; empowering young people with practical skills that are community based such as crime prevention, environmental issues, poverty alleviation, so as to be employable and contribute to their own communities. - BuaNews