DA: Easier to administer drugs than break cycle of new infections

That more than 3.2 million people in South Africa are currently on antiretroviral treatment “is a remarkable achievement”‚ the Democratic Alliance (DA) noted on World Aids Day.

“But the dark side of the story remains: that we have not managed to break the cycle of new infections‚” said the party’s health spokesperson Dr Wilmot James.

“It is almost easier to administer drugs to people who become ill but it is far more difficult to persuade people to inculcate a preventative culture.”

He called on Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi to “constitute a National Health Commission (NHC) task group to investigate the causes of intergenerational transactional sex and the poor rate of condom use among youth South Africans”.

“There are still hundreds of thousands of new infections every year‚ with the SA National Aids Council (SANAC) confirming that there were 337000 new infections in 2014‚ and an estimated average of 300000 new infections every year‚” James said.

“Preventing HIV infection is a complex task: young women in South Africa remain one of the most disempowered groups‚ and are often the main victims of violence and unemployment.

“They are a vulnerable group‚ who are exposed to numerous risks. What is needed is a multi-pronged intervention‚ involving education‚ and other support measures to stop the scourge.”