Deborah Birx insists South African govt to boost HIV/AIDS programme

Deborah Birx, the renowned American physician and US Global AIDS Coordinator, has praised the exclusive plan by government of South Africa to place over two million people on antiretroviral treatment by December 2020.

While speaking at the Zola Community Health Clinic recently, Deborah Birx said that the administration under South Africa's President, Cyril Ramaphosa requires to fast-track the campaign currently more than ever. She was also accompanied by US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan while interacting with the young girls who were part of the DREAMS project and residents from various townships about the US president's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief programme known as Pepfar, as reported by IOL News.

"When the president (Cyril Ramaphosa) announced 2 million people would be on treatment, I went and spoke to my Congress and my leadership at home, excited at the opportunity and the level of political will to have a different future for South Africa and to ensure that everybody who needs treatment is on it," Deborah Birx opined.

But she said while the US has been thrilled that the intervention will assist millions of people, it would be foolhardy for the country and the rest of the world to be lax about the pandemic. She added that the US government was disappointed at the initial stage seeing the pace of programme, thus she insisted the government of South Africa to accelerate it. According to her, there should be a renewed level of commitment at the site level where the health facility is interacting with the client.

Birx insisted up to 80,000 people must be placed on treatment every month. The Pepfar team with the Department of Health learned that up to 42,000 people are receiving antiretroviral treatment at a number of clinics, she said. "We can't really hit the 2 million unless we dramatically change the level of work, effort, passion and commitment to our clients whom we need to be serving. That's what it is going to take," she added.

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