Chairperson, thank you very much. Let me thank the hon member Madumise for the question. Hon Madumise, no, the department has no intention to offer voluntary termination of pregnancy on the basis of HIV status. The choice to terminate a pregnancy is there for any woman to exercise irrespective of her HIV status.
For us to suggest that an offer for voluntary termination should be made to women whose HIV status is confirmed as positive, would indeed be to discriminate against those women. What the department does routinely is to counsel all women about their pregnancies. Should they test positive for HIV, we also counsel them on the implications and on available mechanisms for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Thank you.
Thank you, Chairperson. Thank you, Minister, for your answer. Based on your response, would a second termination of pregnancy be provided to an HIV-positive woman if she so chooses?
Care is indeed ensured that patients, irrespective of their status, do not substitute termination of pregnancy for other types of contraception. Stringent counselling is provided as multiple pregnancies impact on the lives of women, more so those who are HIV-positive. Thank you.
Thank you, Chairperson. Hon Minister, obviously it is everyone's intention that we should reduce the number of women who have HIV falling pregnant and having babies - whether those babies do or do not have HIV. Therefore, would you not consider it appropriate to introduce legislation which will require all people who are entering into marriage or formal partnerships to sign a document stating that they have had an HIV test and that they know their status and the status of their partner? Thank you.
I'm sure we don't need an additional identity document in this regard. This is not the first time that the hon member asks this question, and we have given a response to this question. No, the department will not legislate on this matter. Thank you.
Thank you, Chairperson. The vertical HIV transmission rate at the moment stands in the region of 20,8%. The Minister says that during antenatal care, those women who are HIV-positive are counselled and are made aware of the available mechanisms for the prevention of mother-to- child transmission. But now, only the Western Cape offers dual therapy without the approval of Cabinet. All the other eight provinces have to get the approval of Cabinet for dual therapy.
I ask you, Minister, would it not be more humane to offer, in the counselling process, the opt-out approach to those women who are HIV- positive rather than to perpetuate the trauma of delivering babies who may be HIV-positive and then watching them die within the first year of their lives, given that half of HIV-positive children die of Aids within the first year of their lives? [Time expired.]
Chairperson, those are too many questions in one question. The first one is about counselling; the second one is about dual therapy; and the last one is about the opt-out approach. I don't know which question the member wants me to answer. But let me take this opportunity, with regard to dual therapy - and I think this is a golden opportunity for me - to address the House on this matter. I do so because out there, particularly by the opposition parties, there is a notion that this government does not want to provide dual therapy. There is a question coming and we will address this in more detail.
However, I just want to remind all of us that it was this government and through this Minister who, in the first instance, asked the question: Why mono therapy for pregnant women? Are we not discriminating against them instead of giving them dual or triple therapy? Everybody was: give nevirapine, nevirapine, nevirapine. Now everybody is saying, "No nevirapine. Nevirapine is dangerous dual therapy." We could have gone a long way if we had been listened to as this government at all on the approaches that we were taking in order to ensure that we protect the women of this country. Thank you. [Applause.]
Hon Minister, I must commend you on your response to this question. It would be unthinkable for us to justify routine offers of destruction of unborn children. It's actually gross discrimination against these children, let alone their mothers, and it's despicable. Next we would have members asking for us to offer euthanasia to HIV-positive patients. Minister, I was going to ask you: Would you condemn this call by the Health Systems Trust? I see you have actually put it down, and I would ask you to make a strong condemnation of such a call. Thank you.
I would have expected that question from the hon Dudley. She never misses an opportunity to ask about the termination of pregnancy and euthanasia. So, I would have expected it. I don't know what call you want me to make, because you yourself are saying that we have already said it. So, I really don't know what this extraordinary effort is that this Minister must make, because you yourself are saying that it has been made and you congratulate us. Thank you very much for congratulating us.
Measures to improve accountability for, and performance of school feeding scheme
273. Mr G G Boinamo (DA) asked the Minister of Education:
(1) Whether, with regard to the various problems with the management of the school feeding schemes around the country that the Auditor- General identified in his reports on provincial education departments for 2005-06, she has introduced any measures to improve (a) accountability for and (b) performance of the school feeding scheme in the provinces; if not, why not; if so, what measures;
(2) whether she intends extending the feeding scheme to include school holidays; if not, why not; if so, when will this be done?