The latest statistics reveal that more than 1300 girls and young women are infected with HIV/Aids weekly in KwaZulu Natal. This was revealed during the 11th SA Aids Conference that got underway on Tuesday in Durban. 

AIDS CONFERENCE

The 11th SA AIDS Conference officially kicked off at the Durban ICC and will run until tomorrow. This year's conference is attended among others by South African National Aids Council (SANAC) chairperson, Steve Letsike; Health Minister Joe Phaahla, and KZN premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube. It is being held under the theme, "Act, Connect, and End the Epidemic'. The Presidency said the conference which brought together policymakers, scientists, researchers, social activists and people living with HIV to review progress and reflect on the fight against HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (TB) among other pandemics and global health threats. The conference was last hosted physically in June 2019 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

NEW INFECTIONS IN KZN

SANAC spokesperson Nelson Dlamini said those between the ages of 15 and 24 formed a high number of the 1 300 young people being infected by HIV on a weekly basis in KZN with those from underprivileged communities being the hardest hit. Estimates show that new infections within the 15-24 year age group accounted for 53% of estimated total new infections in 2016. 32% of total new infections in this age group were accounted for by eThekwini while other high estimates were noted for uMgungundlovu, King Cetshwayo and Zululand accounting for 12% and 8.8% and 8.9% respectively. Dlamini called for more sex education for young people and youth-friendly healthcare services to end new HIV infections. Speaking during a march held at the Gugu Dlamini Park to highlight the plight of those infected by the HIV virus on Tuesday ahead of the conference, Dlamini said that youth services are something that they are trying to scale up and promote. "This march is looking at all these issues to say as much as the government is making an effort but the people on the ground also should know that there are services that are accessible and how young people should be accessing them,' Dlamini said. 

TIME TO ACT 

Minister Phaahla said in line with the theme of this conference, the government acknowledges it is time to act, connect and end HIV by continuing with efforts towards the Global Agenda 2030 ambition of ending AIDS as a public health threat. "It is also imperative that we keep in mind that in 2025, it will be the deadline year for the 95-95-95 targets, which are outlined in the current Global AIDS Strategy,' Phaahla said, adding a new set of ambitious targets calls for 95% of all people living with HIV to know their HIV status and for 95 % of those who are already HIV positive to receive sustained antiretroviral therapy. Phaahla added that the Department of Health was also working on making sure that 95% of all people receiving ARV therapy have undetectable viral load by 2025. 

GOVERNMENT SHIFT OFF FOCUS TOWARDS COVID-19

Speakers at the conference blame the new infections on the government's focus on the Covid-19 pandemic. Conference chair Dr Thato Chidarikire, who is also Director of HIV Prevention Programmes in the National Department of Health, said while the country has made a tremendous effort towards ending new HIV/Aids infections, they are aware of how the COVID-19 pandemic chipped away years of gains made in the HIV and TB response. "The pandemic did not just strain health systems, but it further enhanced barriers to accessing healthcare, deepened inequalities, spiralled poverty and led to increased rates of Gender-Based Violence and femicide, all recipes for HIV spread,' Chidarikire said. She said COVID-19 has taught the health sector to leverage existing investments to fight new threats and to prepare for the future. "We need to use the same energy to ensure that HIV remains a priority within health and social structures, making sure we leave no one behind,' she added.