The star Online
Thursday, November 30, 2006
She has been sick for a while but Manto Tshabalala-Msimang is still the health minister and says she is looking forward to doing her bit in the fight against HIV/Aids when she returns to work.
The Health Ministry has said that although the minister's sick leave ends this week, it was not known when she would be back.
This comes after she was hospitalised for a lung infection. She was released on October 27 but was advised to recuperate at home.
She said she would not attend tomorrow's event to mark World Aids Day.
However, Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and members of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on HIV/Aids will attend the national event in Mpumalanga.
Tshabalala-Msimang said they would elaborate on the process to revise the Strategic Plan for HIV/Aids and Sexually Transmitted Infections and the review of the South African National Aids Council.
This comes amid speculation that she had been sidelined in the fight against HIV/Aids and calls for her resignation - claims she has denied.
"I will not be able to attend this event. However, I am looking forward to participating in the further work that needs to be done from early next year to ensure the success and sustainability of these two very important processes," she said.
Writing in the ANC's online newsletter earlier this month, the minister said: "My illness was portrayed as an opportunity to turn others into champions of a campaign to rid our government of the so-called HIV/Aids denial at the highest level."
That statement in ANC Today came barely weeks after her deputy, Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge - who was originally gagged by Tshabalala-Msimang from speaking on HIV/Aids - became vocal on the subject.
Mlambo-Ngcuka took charge of the government's HIV/Aids policy and communication after the cabinet became concerned that Tshabalala-Msimang's combative style had affected the country's image.
Yesterday, she said that, in line with this year's World Aids Day theme, "Stop HIV and Aids. Keep the Promise", the Health Department was keeping its promise to increase access to HIV/Aids prevention, care and treatment services.
"Our prevention campaigns are being enhanced to strengthen the promotion of abstinence and being faithful."
The minister said that in the past financial year more than 1,7-million people had used the voluntary counselling and testing services available in 4 172 clinics.
Tshabalala-Msimang said more than 380-million condoms were distributed annually, while services to reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV were available at all hospitals and at 86% of clinics.
She added that more than 480 000 people had benefited.
Tshabalala-Msimang said antiretroviral treatment was available at 273 hospitals and clinics for patients with a CD4 count of 200 or below.
An average of 11 000 patients joined the programme every month, adding up to 213 828 adults and children who had been placed on it by the end of September.
"As the Ministry and the Department of Health, we commit to intensifying our efforts to ensure that all of us progressively realise the right of access to all HIV/Aids prevention, care and treatment services," she added