Chantelle Benjamin
3 October 2008
Johannesburg — NEWLY appointed Health Minister Barbara Hogan said yesterday she would make HIV/AIDS and a supply of antiretroviral drugs a top priority, giving the first unequivocal statement in years from the government on its position on the pandemic.
Speaking in Pretoria, Hogan singled out HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, as well as improving the quality of health services, as the biggest challenges facing the health sector, saying that while the HIV/AIDS policy was sound, "consistent work and political leadership" were needed to improve attitudes and awareness. It was the closest Hogan came to criticising her predecessor, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, who gained notoriety for her unconventional support of beetroot and the African potato as treatment for HIV/AIDS.
However, Hogan had only praise for the efforts of former deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka in developing the National Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS and TB, as well as restructuring the South African National AIDS Council (Sanac). "Through our comprehensive plan for HIV and AIDS care, management and treatment programme, we have initiated the largest number of people on antiretroviral treatment in the continent and globally. Yet we still have millions of people being afflicted by HIV/AIDS, both the infected and the affected."
Hogan replaced Tshabalala-Msimang, who was removed from her post when President Kgalema Motlanthe formed a new cabinet last month, after the resignation of Thabo Mbeki. Dr Molefi Sefularo was appointed as Hogan's deputy.
AIDS activists worldwide accused the department under Tshabalala-Msimang of dragging its feet on AIDS policy.
SA has about 5,7-million people infected with HIV, making it the country with the largest number of HIV-infected adults in the world.
Hogan, who has about six months to turn around a department plagued with low morale, high medical costs and vacancies, poor financial management and the scourge of HIV/AIDS and TB, said there would be no "quick-fix promises" or "cheap political tricks" ahead of the elections.
"This country is facing significant health burdens and we want to give you something solid, rather than a list of 20 things to be done in the last 100 days," she said.
In another move away from the operational style of her predecessor, Hogan invited civil society, political parties, and the media to monitor and report on best practices and areas where the health department needed to improve.
Hogan intends to make use of her experience of five years as head of the portfolio committee on finance to assist provincial MEC s to make the most of their budgets, which is where service delivery often falls down.
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