KwaZulu Natal Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane urges HIV patients to take ARVS or "they will die"
Celokuhle Simelane
KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane has called for a ceasefire for
the estimated 117 000 people who are believed to be off their antiretroviral (ARV) treatment.
Simelane was speaking as her department launched the Close The Gap campaign, in partnership with the country's Department of Health and the South African National AIDS Council.
The goal is to find 1.1 million people who are HIV positive but not taking their medication.
The province has an estimated 1.5 million people who are taking ARVs correctly, which is not enough as the Department has already launched a campaign to find these people who have already stopped taking their medication.
“We are determined to find these people and have them continue to take their medication correctly, because we do not want anyone to die because they stopped taking their medication. This is dangerous because it will cause the virus to come back strong and take control, which puts you at risk of death. We know that some people have stopped taking their medication because they are tired of using it, but we do not encourage that at all, rather we want them to continue with it so that they can live longer. We also know that some people stop taking their medication because they are seeing and feeling better, which is why we encourage them to continue taking their medication correctly at all times,” said Ms. Simelane.
She also complained that one of the things that makes the medication ineffective for those who use it is that it is also mixed with alcohol, which makes it seem like if you drink too much - it is as if you are not using it at all, and it is not working, which is not the case.
“Not drinking alcohol does not make you stupid, but if you drink alcohol we do not fight that, but drinking too much is a problem because it makes a person forget to take their medication at the right time. Some people even forget, which ultimately leads to problems,” she said.
The national department is planning to even visit bars, looking for those who have given up on their medication.It is also planned to provide people with six-month packages, so that they do not have to go to clinics to collect their medication.
