KZN Health Department aims to reconnect over 117 000 people to HIV treatment

As the Close the Gap campaign intensifies, the KwaZulu-Natal Health Department is on a mission to find 117 616 people and return them to anti-retroviral treatment (ARV) by the end of the year.

KZN Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane has urged ARV defaulters to return to care and people to get tested and know their HIV status. 

Simelane advised those on ARVs to avoid excessive drinking to stay healthy and be consistent with their treatment. 

KZN has approximately 1.5 million people stable on ARVs, but the department aims to find thousands more who have stopped treatment.

The province is part of the Close the Gap campaign launched in February by Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi. It is a collaboration between the national Department of Health, the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) and other stakeholders in the health sector, and is part of the country’s ongoing interventions to enhance an uptake of life-saving HIV treatment to ensure 95% of HIV-positive people receive and adhere to antiretroviral therapy (ART) to achieve viral suppression.

The campaign aims to reach 1.1 million people across the country who are aware of their HIV status but are not on treatment. 

Additionally, the campaign is in line with the new South African National Strategic Plan for HIV, TB and STIs (NSP) for 2023-2028 and UNAIDS’s 95-95-95 targets to end the Aids epidemic by 2030.

In KZN, over 200 000 people are estimated to be lost to treatment. Therefore, the province aims to find 117 616 of them by the end of the year and return them to care. 

During the KZN Health Chat multimedia programme on Friday, Simelane welcomed the #CloseTheGap campaign. 

“We are really determined to bring people back on treatment. As we always say, no one should ever die just because they’ve stopped taking medication that can suppress HIV to the point of being undetectable,” Simelane said. 

“We know that some people stop taking their ARVs due to treatment fatigue, which we strongly discourage.

“In some ways, we are victims of our own success as a province. People take their medication until they feel so well that they think they can stop. But they only feel better because of the treatment. So, we urge everyone to stick to their treatment, and for those who’ve stopped, to come back and re-enrol. If we don’t, resistance can develop, making treatment less effective and putting our lives at risk.”

Simelane also warned that excessive alcohol consumption can lead to defaulting on treatment.

“Being a teetotaler doesn’t make you ibhari (a bumpkin) or unfashionable. There is nothing wrong with not drinking. But if you must drink, do so in moderation — especially if you are on ARVs. Drinking too much makes it harder to keep track of time, let alone remember to take your medication. We plead with our compatriots to take care and protect their health,” Simelane said.

The department said that anyone wanting to return to the ART programme can visit their local clinic and speak to a healthcare worker. 

Tips for staying on schedule with your ARVs: 

• Follow instructions: Take your pills as prescribed.
• Build a routine: Link it to something you do daily.
• Use tools: Set an alarm or use a reminder app on your mobile phone.
• Get support: Ask a trusted person to help remind you.
• Stay connected: Keep attending your clinic check-ups as scheduled.

thobeka.ngema@inl.co.za