The Western Cape Government is on a mission to end the spread of HIV and launched a multi-sectoral ‘undetectable equals untransmittable’ (U=U) campaign to promote the benefits of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for people living with HIV (PLHIV).
The province also welcomed HIV patients who were diagnosed back, but had not started treatment as well as patients who started treatment but stopped for various reasons.
According to the provincial Department of Health and Wellness ART is not only beneficial to the individual but also their partners, children, community and the health system at large.
ART does not cure HIV infection or remove the virus from one’s body, but when taken it as prescribed one can suppress the virus to such an extent that HIV will not be found or detected in one’s blood. And when it is undetectable it is also untransmittable, which means you cannot pass it on to your sexual partner.
In the Western Cape, 92% of people living with HIV know their status, but only 59% of them are on ART, and only 21% have had their viral loads (VL) checked in recent months, and 92% of those whose VLs were checked were virologically suppressed. It remains a concern that a relatively high number (273 949) of residents living with HIV in the province are currently not on ART.
“The U=U Campaign offers us an opportunity to give the prevention and treatment of HIV the urgent priority needed to make significant inroads in fighting this disease,” Premier Alan Winde said at the launch on Tuesday 1 August.
“Our aim is to give residents living with HIV dignity and hope. This initiative will be driven with the same determination and urgency we used in delivering a world class Covid-19 response. Through this initiative those in our province living with HIV are given the hope that this disease does not have to determine the course of their lives, but they can grab any opportunity with the comfort of knowing they are healthy.
Western Cape Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Nomafrench Mbombo said the launch of the U=U campaign came at a crucial time.
“Following the covid-19 pandemic, many of our residents were not able to continue their treatment which placed their health at risk,” she pointed out. “Despite this, our resources and services can now be reprioritised towards addressing a virus that is now endemic in our communities. It is crucial that we all work together to ensure we maximise access to ARVs and address the stigmas associated with HIV, as any person one knows could be HIV-positive. It is up to us to end the spread of HIV in our communities through proper collaboration with all stakeholders.”
Through this campaign the province said it is committed to re-engaging people living with HIV who have been lost from care. With the support in place we are positive more people can begin ART, adhere to treatment and ultimately achieve undetectable viral loads. Visit your clinic to find out more about starting or continuing your ART treatment.
For more information about the U=U campaign, visit: www.westerncape.gov.za/site-page/hiv-undetectable-equals-untransmittable
