Maternal deaths rise due to Aids
By, Sunday Times, December 1, 2006
As South Africa marks World Aids Day, the surge of HIV/Aids and tuberculosis is leading to a rise in the mortality rates of maternal mothers and new-borns.
The number of mothers and new-borns who die because of HIV/Aids and tuberculosis is on the increase, Health Systems Trust (HST) reported.
"The strides made from 1996 to now (2006) in improving maternal care in South Africa has been great, but that figure is marred by the HIV and tuberculosis (TB) infection rate," said HST spokeswoman Ashnie Padarath.
HST is a government and privately commissioned research organisation.
She said whereas in 1996, 38 percent of all TB patients were female, the figure increased to 43.5 percent in 2004.
"HIV has also been implicated in a lot of deaths and aggravation of existing (treatable) medical conditions."
This meant that health care workers’ efforts to save the life of a patient, who could ordinarily be cured, was be hampered due to HIV infection.
Said Padarath: "Many children also still fall ill and die from preventable and treatable conditions. Child mortality has also [been] fuelled largely by HIV, which is reversing the gains made in child survival over the last decade."
She said the number of deaths occurring among women and children was indicative that HIV and TB was a hindrance to successful health care in the country.
The department of Health’s strides to minimise the scourge of HIV in the country was largely commented on.
"Last year, only 3,000 [of a possible 110,000 children infected with HIV] were administered with antiretrovirals. This year, that figure has increased to 14,000."
Padarath said the statistics were proof that government had begun to tackle the problems faced in health care from renewed perspectives.
"We’re talking about [the department’s] skills training for nurses, campaigns and extending ARV rollout to all areas. All that [effort] is from government’s initiatives."
But while government’s efforts were applauded, Padarath said there was still room for improvement.
She added that the HST’s review of women and children’s deaths revealed that the rate of TB infections were growing faster each year.
High HIV and TB infection rates aside, the HST said all government sectors needed to pull together to ensure fewer women and children died from preventable diseases.
"A lack of running water in the rural areas brings upon problems of cholera, where, if there were running water, we wouldn’t have to deal with those kinds of problems."
Padarath said an "innovative and sustainable response" to the unacceptable mortality rates among maternal women and children would be needed to decrease the number of deaths.
Source: http://www.suntimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=332483
As South Africa marks World Aids Day, the surge of HIV/Aids and tuberculosis is leading to a rise in the mortality rates of maternal mothers and new-borns.
The number of mothers and new-borns who die because of HIV/Aids and tuberculosis is on the increase, Health Systems Trust (HST) reported.
"The strides made from 1996 to now (2006) in improving maternal care in South Africa has been great, but that figure is marred by the HIV and tuberculosis (TB) infection rate," said HST spokeswoman Ashnie Padarath.
HST is a government and privately commissioned research organisation.
She said whereas in 1996, 38 percent of all TB patients were female, the figure increased to 43.5 percent in 2004.
"HIV has also been implicated in a lot of deaths and aggravation of existing (treatable) medical conditions."
This meant that health care workers’ efforts to save the life of a patient, who could ordinarily be cured, was be hampered due to HIV infection.
Said Padarath: "Many children also still fall ill and die from preventable and treatable conditions. Child mortality has also [been] fuelled largely by HIV, which is reversing the gains made in child survival over the last decade."
She said the number of deaths occurring among women and children was indicative that HIV and TB was a hindrance to successful health care in the country.
The department of Health’s strides to minimise the scourge of HIV in the country was largely commented on.
"Last year, only 3,000 [of a possible 110,000 children infected with HIV] were administered with antiretrovirals. This year, that figure has increased to 14,000."
Padarath said the statistics were proof that government had begun to tackle the problems faced in health care from renewed perspectives.
"We’re talking about [the department’s] skills training for nurses, campaigns and extending ARV rollout to all areas. All that [effort] is from government’s initiatives."
But while government’s efforts were applauded, Padarath said there was still room for improvement.
She added that the HST’s review of women and children’s deaths revealed that the rate of TB infections were growing faster each year.
High HIV and TB infection rates aside, the HST said all government sectors needed to pull together to ensure fewer women and children died from preventable diseases.
"A lack of running water in the rural areas brings upon problems of cholera, where, if there were running water, we wouldn’t have to deal with those kinds of problems."
Padarath said an "innovative and sustainable response" to the unacceptable mortality rates among maternal women and children would be needed to decrease the number of deaths.
Source: http://www.suntimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=332483
posted by AIDS-Care-Watch at 4:42 pm
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home