TARGET # | DESCRIPTION | SA STATUS
(PER 2019 COUNTRY REPORT) |
3.3 | By 2030, end the epidemics of AIDS (0 per 1 000), tuberculosis (0 per 100 000), malaria (0 per 1 000) and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis (0 per 100 000), water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases
|
New HIV infections:
1 new infection per 1 000 uninfected population (2017) TB incidence: 567 per 100 000 (2017) Malaria incidence: 1,4 per 1 000 (2018) Hepatitis B mortality: 0,5 per 100 000 (2015)
|
South Africa has created a National Strategic Plan (NSP 2017−2020) for HIV/AIDS which has achieved great results as it was created by collaborating with a number of stakeholders: government, civil society, communities and the private sector. The main goals of the plan were made clear after determining what they should be which was done through a consultative process and evidence-based reviews in which progress was analysed and key gaps and challenges in addressing the problem were identified.
The main goals of the plan are to:
- Accelerate prevention to reduce new infections
- Reduce morbidity and mortality by providing treatment, care and adherence support for all
- Reach all key and vulnerable populations with comprehensive, customised and targeted interventions
- Address the social and structural drivers, including human rights
- Promote leadership at all levels and shared accountability for a sustainable response
- Mobilise resources to support the achievement of these goals
- Strengthen strategic information to drive progress
Effective actions were taken to help achieve the goals and these actions have yielded very positive results. They include a number of programmes and interventions such as a
- National Department of Health HIV strategy
- National She Conquers Campaign for girls and young women
- National sex worker HIV pla.
- National LGBTI HIV framework
- Framework and strategy for disability and rehabilitation services in South Africa
- National adolescent and youth health policy promoting the health and wellbeing of young people in South Africa and providing, through the integrated school health programme, practical information about HIV/AIDS (as well as TB, mental health, sexual and reproductive health, nutrition and healthy weight, substance abuse and violence prevention)
As a result of the above actions, South Africa has experienced a significant decline in the number of new HIV/AIDS infections. However, our HIV/AIDS prevalence rate has increased, because we now are aware of and treating more people with HIV/AIDS. Also, more people are now able to obtain antiretroviral (ARV) treatment. This has taken enormous effort and key steps along the way were to remove the stigma, get the right policies and programmes in place, gather reliable data, set up effective reporting, and change the eligibility criterial for access to ARVs.
We can learn much from the success of the HIV/AIDS plan and actions and apply these approaches to all of our other SDG 3 targets.
South Africa is blessed with a large youth and working-age population, and we have fewer very old and very young people. The ability of all of our people to contribute gainfully to our economy and live better-quality lives depends on the status of their health and wellbeing.
This is why SDG 3 is a great goal to get involved in. Its success will have an enormous positive knock-on impact for our country.