Luphert Chilwane
26 November 2008
Johannesburg — SA WILL receive more than $590m (about R5,3bn ) from the U S President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (Pepfar) this year.
This will be allocated to address the country's HIV/AIDS problems, consul-general Andrew Passen said yesterday.
Speaking at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for new medical rooms at the renovated Zuzimpilo Medical Centre, Passen said SA was home to the most HIV-infected people in the world by far.
The HIV/AIDS counselling and treatment clinic, based in the Johannesburg city centre, is sponsored by the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
Passen said that among the 15 "focus" countries, SA had received the highest annual funding under Pepfar . Twelve of the 15 countries were in sub-Saharan Africa, the region worst affected by the scourge of AIDS.
He said that for the past five years, Pepfar had funded more than $15bn in HIV/AIDS programmes around the world.
"Zuzimpilo represents an excellent example of this results-oriented partnership. The centre proved that it was on to something through its vision for providing an option that bridges the public and private sectors, for providing quality, but inexpensive, HIV treatment, care and counselling."
Health Minister Barbara Hogan said Zuzimpilo was an extraordinary initiative which went beyond the boundaries of experimentation.
"This project is marvellous and God-sent . It allows for patient privacy," she said.
Dr Motato Leshika, the centre's project director, said that since the clinic was opened in 2006, it had registered 2400 HIV cases, and out of those, 1200 patients were enrolled in the antiretroviral programme. T he remaining 1200 were participating in wellness programmes. Leshika said patients paid R350 a month for treatment, instead of the R1200 paid to private doctors.
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