Luqman Cloete
16 April 2008
Windhoek — The number of new HIV-AIDS cases reported in the Keetmanshoop Health District has dropped from 606 in 2006 to 442 last year.
This was revealed by the Acting Principal Medical Officer of the Keetmanshoop State Hospital, Dr Amir Shaker.
"The decrease can be contributed to the positive response from the public to have themselves tested for HIV-AIDS," Shaker said in an interview with The Namibian yesterday. According to Shaker, the number of people who went for HIV-AIDS testing and pre-test counselling increased significantly last year - from 606 in 2006 to 1 622 in 2007.
However, only 711 of those tested last year went back to receive their test results. Shaker said the number of patients on anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment dropped from 200 in 2006 to 180 in 2007, while the number of patients defaulting on their treatment decreased by one per cent.
Despite the drop in new HIV-AIDS cases last year, the mortality rate was higher than in 2006. Last year 57 people died of HIV-AIDS, while 50 AIDS-related deaths were reported in 2006. The Keetmanshoop Health District's achievement in reducing the number of new cases was the direct result of implementing the HIV-AIDS programmes set by the Health Ministry, Shaker said.
He emphasised the need to concentrate messages on the benefit of early detection and prevention among the communities that bear the greatest burden of the disease. He said he expected a decrease in the number of new HIV-AIDS cases in the Luederitz and Karasburg Health Districts too.
Shaker said the TB death rate remained a concern, despite an increase in the TB cure rate.
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