The provincial Department of Health and Wellness, together with the national Department of Health and community partners, are calling on everyone who has missed appointments or stopped TB or HIV treatment to reconnect with care, without judgment.
Through the Close the Gap and End TB campaigns, the provincial department is working to support people to start and restart HIV or TB treatment.
According to national estimates, around 160 000 people in the Western Cape are living with HIV, but not yet on treatment. Provincial patient-level data, however, indicates just over 111 000 people living with HIV have not accessed services in the past 24 months.
DISTRICT BREAKDOWN
In the Cape Winelands district (Stellenbosch, Drakenstein, Breede Valley, Langeberg, and Witzenberg) it is estimated that at least 15 000 people who are HIV-positive are not currently on treatment. Data also shows a very high rate of people testing positive for TB, which tells experts that more people should be tested to get an accurate picture of the prevalence of TB in the district.
The department’s healthcare teams understand that life happens – work, travel, family, personal circumstances or fear can get in the way. But they are there to welcome patients and to support their journey.
PROTECT YOUR HEALTH
- If you have a persistent cough, night sweats, weight loss or fatigue, visit your nearest clinic for a free TB test. Even with just one symptom, you may have TB.
- Open windows at home, school or work, in public transport like taxis and buses to let fresh air in.
- Wear a mask if you’re coughing.
- Ask about TB Preventive Treatment (TPT) if you’re living with HIV or have been in close contact with someone who has TB.
- Complete your TB treatment if diagnosed, even when you start feeling better – stopping early can lead to drug resistance.
- If someone with HIV is on sustained treatment and their viral load is undetectable, they cannot sexually transmit HIV. Staying on treatment protects your health and your loved ones.
- Choose to abstain from sex to avoid contracting sexually transmitted infections.
- Use condoms to protect from HIV and STIs.
- Ask a nurse at your clinic about PrEP, an antiretroviral medication taken by HIV-negative people to reduce the risk of acquiring HIV.
- Limit sexual partners to reduce your HIV risk.
- Test every three months for HIV if you’re at higher risk.
HELP AT HAND
Knowing your TB and HIV status is the first step to protecting yourself and the people you love. If you’re living with HIV or TB and you are not treatment, starting or restarting treatment can protect your loved ones and your health.
As part of the intervention in the Winelands, healthcare workers and partners will focus on: actively following up on patients who tested positive for HIV, but who have not yet started treatment; HIV and TB testing at hospitals; and increasingly training more nurses to be able to start patients on HIV treatment, so that more patients can be started on treatment sooner.
Visit your local clinic or call to find out how to reconnect with treatment today.
