STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER OF HEALTH ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL TASK
TEAM TO DEVELOP A DETAILED OPERATIONAL PLAN FOR AN ANTIRETROVIRAL TREATMENT
PROGRAMME FOR SOUTH AFRICA
August, 2003
On the 8th August 2003, Cabinet requested the Ministry of Health to develop
as a matter of urgency a detailed operational plan on an antiretroviral
treatment programme by the end of September 2003.
Accordingly, I have appointed a National Task Team to coordinate the
drafting of an operational plan on behalf of the government. The task team
comprises mainly senior officials from the Department of Health and experts
in the health sector to complement the skills of the Department of Health.
Dr Anthony D. Mbewu, the Executive Director for Research at the Medical
Research Council of South Africa, will chair the Task Team. Dr Nono
Simelela, the Cluster Manager for HIV & AIDS, Tuberculosis and Sexually
Transmitted Infections in the Department of Health will continue to
coordinate the activities of this plan. Other members of the Task Team include:
- Dr Lindi Makubalo - Cluster Manager for Health Information
Systems, Research Coordination, Epidemiological Surveillance, Monitoring and
Evaluation.
- Ms Mandisa Hela - Director for Access to Affordable Medicines.
- Mrs Precious Matsoso - Registrar and CEO of the Medicines Control
Council.
- Mr Vishal Brijlal - Director for Health Finance and Economics.
- Mrs Cynthia Mgijima - Director for Nutrition.
- Mrs Rose Mdlalose - Acting Cluster Manager: Human Resources.
- Mr Thanduxolo Doro - National Association of People Living with AIDS.
- Ms Hasina Subedar - Registrar and CEO of the South African Nursing
Council.
- Prof Tanyane Mariba - Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the
University of Pretoria and Chairperson of the Health Professions Council of
South Africa.
- Prof Barry Schoub - Professor of Medical Virology at the
University of the Witwatersrand and Director of the National Institute for
Communicable Diseases.
- Dr Ashraf Grimwood - A Clinician and National AIDS treatment expert.
- Philip Onyebujoh - A Clinical Immunologist coordinating TB/HIV
Research at the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva.
- Dr Mokhethi Radebe - Major General in the South African Military
Health Services.
- § Private Sector - (AID for AIDS Programme and Chamber of Mines)
Some members of the task team will comprise a core team and work full time
on this project while others will assist to convene focused consultations
with relevant stakeholders and also act as a reference advisory group to the
Task Team.
In addition, the National HIV and AIDS Treatment Task Team will be assisted
by a team of experts from the Clinton Foundation AIDS Initiative,
established by former U.S. President William Jefferson Clinton, which is led
by Mr Ira Magaziner.
Over the next six weeks National HIV and AIDS Treatment Task Team will work
closely with provincial health authorities and will consult broadly with
national and international experts and various South African stakeholders.
During this period, the National HIV and AIDS Treatment Task Team will
develop a detailed operational plan and implementation schedule. Amongst
others, the Task Team will address the following areas in developing a plan
for approval by cabinet:
- The development of provincial implementation plans, including a
resource and training centre in each province to help ensure the delivery of
high quality treatment and care, a schedule for rollout across district
hospitals and health centres and a forecast of staffing requirements. These
provincial operational plans will be based on the district health systems
within each province.
- Procurement and/or production of necessary medications and
consumables at as low a price as possible and an increase in the capacity
and security of the drug distribution system.
- Upgrading of the national health laboratory system to handle a
significant increase in diagnostic testing and monitoring of patient safety.
- Elaborate an integrated nutritional programme for people with HIV
& AIDS.
- Development of a research agenda to support the programme,
including engagement of South African academic centres and research
institutions.
- Establishment of a robust system to monitor efficacy of
intervention, adverse drug events, resistance and improvement and
coordination of patient information systems.
- Development of staffing norms and standards for the delivery of
antiretroviral therapy and assessment of human resource needs, including
health system managers, physicians, nurses, pharmacists, nutritionists and
counselors.
- Creation of a Programme Management Unit to coordinate the
implementation of the programme and recommendations for its functions,
structure, staffing and cost.
- Development of a communications plan for health providers and the
public, including what to expect from the proposed treatment programme.
- Development of a detailed five-year programme budget and an
estimated ten-year budget to implement the treatment programme.
- Development of a detailed implementation schedule.
As a result of this work, the Task Team will produce an operational plan
detailing the tasks to be performed, a schedule for their performance and a
clear designation of responsibility for each task. This will help ensure
that safe and effective HIV & AIDS treatment, care and support is brought to
all South Africans.
Dr ME Tshabalala-Msimang
Minister of Health
[END OF STATEMENT]