By Sama Jobe
Department of Health increased the budget allocations to HIV and TB because these diseases are highly prioritized in health spending.
Picture: www.chinadaily.com
According to South African Health Review (SAHR) 2019, allocations increased from R11 billion in 2013/14 to R20. 7 billion in 2018/19. SAHR 2019 found that allocations increased by 7% and this year are expected to be R25 billion from R20. 7 billion.
SAHR 2019 shows that allocations are expected to keep on growing in the near future. The mid-year population 2019 by Statistics South Africa shows that HIV prevalence rate in South Africa was 13.5% in 2019, with approximately 7.97 million of people living with HIV.
Human Sciences Research council in 2019 held their 22nd International AIDS Conference in Amsterdam in July last year, revealed that there are over 2.1 Million people living with HIV in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. World Health Organisation last year on the World TB Day revealed that most of the people who are dying of TB are also infected with HIV.
Attemptions of communicating with the Department of Health in the province, from Ncumisa Mafunda’s office failed. Khanyi Ndlovu from the same office transferred us to Hlengiwe Lukhozi, who promised to get back to us but did not.
Sister Nomusa Mhlongo from DUT campus clinic, said the budget were increased because the department have realised that HIV and TB statistics are increasing instead of decreasing. The department is focusing to these diseases to introduce new ways of HIV prevention. She also mentioned that most of the time if a person is diagnosed with HIV, the next step is to do TB test to check if there is no co-infection.
HIV activist, Thuba Shazi said he is fighting to decrease the number of people who are born with HIV. He also said being HIV positive is not a fashion. They are motivating people with HIV because they are trying to make them realise that it’s not the end of the world. Shazi said though he was born with HIV, he is fighting for everyone because the number of people who are getting infected is increasing day by day.
Image: www.facebook.com/nkosi_thuba_shazi
“In Clinics before, they were discriminating people with HIV, their files were different. The way they were treated was different. HIV test is now for everyone, unlike before someone had to have symptoms of HIV before get tested. We fought for that, HIV test is now a package for everyone,” Shazi said
Listen to Sister Mhlongo by Sama Jay on #SoundCloud
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Listen to Thuba Shazi by Sama Jay on #SoundCloud
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