Somlomo namalungu ahloniphekile, masincome loyo owenza isiphakamiso sokuthi sixoxe ngalesi simo samagungqu amathathu. Sincome futhi ukuthi lesi sihloko esikhuluma ngaso sifike ngenyanga yabantu besifazane, ngoba yibona abashaywa kakhulu yisifo sengculazi, yibona abagulayo, yibona izinzala, futhi kube yibo abanakekela abagulayo. Ngakho- ke bathwele kanzima.
Ngiphendule umfowethu, u-Comrade Waters, okhuluma ngokuthi i-Medical Countrol Council, i-MCC, ayivumi ukubhalisa iTenofovir. Mhlawumbe njengeKomidi Likazwelonke leZempilo, asixoxe nawe mhlonishwa Walters ukuthi siyimeme i-MCC ukuze sibhekane nalesi simo.
Engizokhuluma ngakho namhlanje yinqubekela phambili eseyenzekile ngesimo sokubhekana nengculazi kanye nesandulela ngculazi. Ingculazi ayihambi yodwa, ihamba nomngane wayo oyi-TB. Njengamanje-nje siyancoma kakhulu ukuthi uMnyango Wezempilo sonke lesi sikhathi kade ukhipha ijuphe lama- femidom. I-femidom ikhondomu yabesifazane. UBukhipha nje isigidi ngonyaka we zezimali, kodwa manje usitshele ukuthi kulo nyaka wezezimali uzokhipha izigidi eziyisithupha. Siyakuncoma lokho ngoba izinga selithe ukukhula. [Ihlombe.]
Kubalulekile ukuthi abantu uma ngabe bewasebenzisa bawasebenzise kahle, ngendlela abafundiswe ngayo. Abesilisa siyabakhuthaza ukuthi abangathi phela uswidi umnandi uma ukhishwe ikhasi. Abawufake ikhasi [Ihlombe.] ukuze bakwazi ukuvikela lesi simo sengculazi.
Bese ngiphinda futhi ukuthi siyancoma ukuthi uMnyango Wezempilo usuqalile ukuthi uhambe wenza ukusoka. Usoke abantu besilisa, ikakhulukazi labo abasebancane. Okwesibili, sincome abaholi bendabuko abakhuthaza lokhu, ngoba nokho izinga labantu abahambe baya kosoka selikhulile. Makuthi uma besoka bangakhohlwa ukuthi bangadli uswidi uvuliwe, mabawuvale. [Ihlombe.]
Ngisho ukuthi ngamanye amazwi, basebenzise ijazi lomkhwenyana. Bangayi ocansini bengafakanga ijazi. I-Lancet Laboratories yenze uphenyo, sase sithola imiphumela yalolu phenyo ukuthi isimo sesandulela ngculazi kanye nengculazi simbi ezweni. Isimanga ukuthi iMpumalanga Kapa yona ayihambisani namawele ayo, iKwaZulu-Natali neLimpopo ngokuphakama kwesimo sengculazi. Kubo siphansi.
Abahamba phambili, iKwaZulu-Natali, iMpumalanga, i-Freyistata, bayeza-ke nabanye. Inkinga ukuthi yenziwa yini iMpumalanga Kapa ukuthi ibe nezinga elincane. Malungu ahloniphekile, lo mbuzo nginishiyela wona ukuze nani nizame ukuthola ukuthi lokhu kubangwa yini. Umphakathi njengamanje ubambe iqhaza.
Uke wakhuluma omunye uzakwethu nge-Caprisa, kulenyanga endlule iKomidi leZempilo kanye neKomidi leSayensi kanye noBuchwepheshe avakashele endaweni yasemakhaya Emafakatini, e-New Hanover, KwaZulu-Natali okuyiyona ndawo eyisizinda lapho i-Caprisa yenza khona lolu cwaningo lwe-Tenofovir noma i- gel.
Bonke abantu bakuleyo ndawo babambisene, amakhosi, abezenkolo kanye nomphakathi wonkana ubambisene kulesi simo ngoba amavolontiya aphume khona. Ukwenziwa kwalolu cwaningo lusizile ngoba kuphume amavolontiya kanye nomphakathi batshala ivangeli lokuthi akusetshenzelwe ukuthi isimo sengculazi sibe ngcono. Uyazama nokuthi wenze izinga lemfundo libengcono ngoba liphansi kakhulu.
Esakuthola ukuthi abantu babenomndlandla futhi bezimisele. Bayakwazi nokuthi uma kusetshenziswa i-Tenofovir isetshenziswa kanjani. Siyakuncoma lokhu, nokho noma kwenzeka ezindaweni ezisemakhaya kodwa abantu bakhombisile ukuthi kuneqhaza abanokulibamba. Siyamncoma no-Caprisa ngomsebenzi awenzayo njengoba sebeshilo abakhuluma ngaphambi kwami ukuthi lolu cwaningo lwanconywa ezweni lonke.
Bese ngiyalapha kumama nabantwana, ngikhuluma njalo ngenqubekela phambili esiyenzile. Ayikho into eyenza ukuthi umntwana aphile kangcono ngaphandle kokuthi ancele ibele likamama. Kuyakhuthazwa-ke ukuthi umama ancelise umntwana. Kunemibono ehlukene, bathi kuze kuphele iminyaka emibili kodwa okusemqoka ukuthi kumele ziphele izinyanga eziyisithupha ingane incela ibele.
Kulabo abavele benengculazi, ingane kumele incele ibele lodwa, ingaphuziswa ngisho amanzi. Kusho ukuthi ayiphuzi lutho. Asimuphi ngisho amanzi, uncela ibele likamama. Ngakho-ke kubalulekile ukuthi uma siphuma lapha siyobaluleka ukuthi abanengculazi kumele bancelise izingane ibele lodwa.
Njengamanje uNgqongqoshe kulezi nsukwana ezindlule uthe ubisi lwabantwana lwebhodlela luzokhwisha yiziphathimandla zezempilo, abantu ngeke basakwazi ukuyoluthenga nanoma yikuphi. Sifuna ukuthi omama kube yibona abazoncelisa abantwana. Kusho ukuthi akekho umuntu ozoteta bese eba yintombi angancelisi. [Ihlombe.] Phela izintombi azincelisi.
Sikhathazekile njengoba kuthiwa sonke asize sizohlola, sizazi ukuthi simi kuphi. uNgqongqoshe, ngoNhlangulana ngaloyo nyaka wayethe, ufisa kubekhona abantu abayizigidi eziyi-15 abahlole isimo sabo, kodwa kube manje abantu abavelile ukuzohlola bayizigidi eziyi-13.
Sikhathazekile ngoba ngokwezibalo zabezempilo, abantu besilisa abezi ukuzohlola. Sicela bonke abantu besilisa abalapha ukuba bahambe bayokhuthaza abantu ezindaweni zabo ukuthi bahambe bayohlola. [Ihlombe.] Iyona ndlela ezosisiza ukuthi sibone ukuthi sikhona yini isidingo sokuthi sizame ukuvimba.
Bese ngiza kulama-ARV esikhuluma ngawo nsuku zonke. Sonke siyawazi umyalelo owathi umuntu one-CD4 Count ikakhulukazi okhulelwe uzonikezwa ama-ARV ngo- 350 CD4 Count. Kulabo abaphethe ezekubelethisa nokukhulelwa sithi umama okhulelwe kusuka emavikini ayi-11 kuya kwi-14 kumele aqale ukuya emtholampilo ukuze ahlolwe. Uma ngabe udinga ama-ARV kumele awathole ngaleso sikhathi. Siyanikhuthaza ukuthi uma niwathathe uma nifika emakhaya.
Kusuka evikini le-11 kuya kwele-14 kumele baqale baye emitholampilo wabazithwele ukuze bakwazi ukuhlolwa nokuqala ukwamukela ama-ARV, kuze kufike isikhathi sokuteta bese ingane ithola i-nevirapine. Uma umuntu esetetile kuphoqelekile ukuthi aye emtholampilo wabantu abatetile, ngoba sifuna izingane ezingazi kuba nengculazi.
Siyancoma ukuthi eNingizimu Afrika intengo yemishanguzo yengculazi yehlile, ngemuva kokukhulumisana nabayidayisayo. Ingculazi esikhathini esiningi ihamba newele layo, elibizwa nge-TB. Esikhathini esiningi abantu baya emitholampilo ngoba becabanga ukuthi bane-TB. I-TB iyahlolwa ngemuva kwalokho bahlola nengculazi ngaphandle kokubuza isiguli. Sinenhlanhla-ke ngoba ngokukhuphuka kwezinga lwempucuko sekukhona nama-GenXpert machine. Umuntu uyakhwehlela isikhwehlela, ngalo lolo suku athole imiphumela. Imishanguzo iqalwa ngaso leso sikhathi ukuthi umuntu makalashelwe ingculazi kanye ne-TB.
UMnyango Wezempilo usuwenze ukuthi abantu bathole imithi yabo eduze emitholampilo, kuqalwe izinhlelo lapho onesi balolongwe ukuthi uma umuntu efika efuna usizo akwazi ukuthola imishanguzo yengculazi. Sithi ... (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)
[Ms B T NGCOBO: Speaker and hon members, we must commend the person who recommended that we should debate this situation of the three zeros. We should also appreciate that the topic we are debating came about during women's month, because they are the ones who are more affected by the Aids pandemic - they get sick, they bear children, and they are the ones who take care of others. They are burdened.
Let me answer my brother, Comrade Waters, who says that the Medical Control Council, MCC, does not want to register Tenofovir. Perhaps as the Portfolio Committee on Health, we should talk to you about you inviting the MCC so that we can address this situation.
What I am going to talk about today is the progress made with regard to dealing with HIV and Aids. Aids does not develop alone; it works with its partner TB. Right now we commend the Department of Health for issuing femidoms. A femidom is a female condom. The department used to issue one million during a financial year, but now the department has told us that it will issue six million in this financial year. We appreciate that because the level has increased. [Applause.]
It is important that people use them correctly according to the way they have been taught. We encourage men not to say that a sweet is tasty when it is unwrapped. They should wrap it ... [Applause.] ... so that they can prevent the spread of Aids.
I reiterate that we commend the fact that the Department of Health has started with the circumcision of males, especially those who are still young. Secondly, we commend the traditional leaders who encourage this practice, because the number of people that have gone for circumcision has increased. When they circumcise, they should remember that they must not remove the wrapper when they eat a sweet; they must wrap it. [Applause.]
In other words, they must not have unprotected sex. Lancet Laboratories conducted research and the results indicate that the HIV and Aids situation in our country is very bad. The surprising thing is that the Eastern Cape is not on the same level as its twin provinces, namely KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo. Their infection rate is low.
Those in the forefront are KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, and Free State - the other provinces follow. The problem is, what makes the Eastern Cape have low levels? Hon members, I leave this question to you so that you can figure out what causes this. The community is now participating.
One of the hon members spoke about Caprisa; in the past month, the Portfolio Committee on Health and the Portfolio Committee on Science and Technology visited the rural areas of Mafakatini, New Hanover, KwaZulu- Natal, which is the site where Caprisa is doing its study on Tenofovir or gel.
Everybody in that area - chiefs, religious people and the community - are working hand in hand to deal with this situation. The volunteers are also from that area. Doing this research has helped because the community and the volunteers agree that the Aids situation should be improved. It is also trying to improve the low level of education.
We found out that people are geared up and determined, and they know how to use Tenofovir. We commend this, even though this is happening in the rural areas, people have shown that they are playing a role. We also commend Caprisa for the work that they do, like those who spoke before me have said that this study was commended throughout the country.
When I refer to women and children, I always talk about the progress that we have made. There is nothing which makes a child live a better life except for him/her to be breastfed by the mother. Breastfeeding is encouraged. There are different views on this subject - some say that a child should be breastfed for a full two years. However, it is important that the child be breastfed for six months.
For those who are HIV positive, the baby must only be breastfed and must not even drink water. This means that the child must not drink anything else. We should not even give him or her water but only breastfeed him or her. It is therefore important that when we leave here, we must go and advise them that those who are HIV positive must only breastfeed.
Over the past few days the Minister said that the formula will be distributed by health officials, hence people will no longer be able to buy it anywhere else. We want mothers to breastfeed their children. This means no one will give birth and thereafter behave like ladies who do not have infants and not breastfeed their children. [Applause.] Ladies who do not have infants do not breastfeed.
We are worried because it is said that all of us should come and be tested, so that we can know our status. The Minister in June that year said that she had a target of 15 million people coming for testing, but till now only 13 million people have been tested.
We are worried because according to medical statistics, males do not go for testing. We ask all the men who are here to go and encourage people in their constituencies to get tested. [Applause.] This is the only way which will help in order for us to see if there is a need for prevention.
Now I want to talk about ARVs, which is what we talk about everyday. We all know the message that a pregnant person will be given ARVs, especially those whose CD4 Count is 350. We say to those who are in charge of antenatal clinics, that a woman who is 11 to 14 weeks pregnant must start going to the clinic for testing. If she needs ARVs she must get them at that time. We encourage them to take them when they arrive home.
Women who are 11 to 14 weeks pregnant must start going to the antenatal clinics so that they can be tested and also to start receiving ARVs until they give birth; thereafter the child gets Nevirapine. When a person has given birth she should go to a postnatal clinic, because we do not want children to become HIV positive.
We commend the fact that in South Africa the price of Aids medication dropped, after the discussion with the retailers. Most of the time Aids works with its twin brother called TB. In most cases people go to clinics because they think they have TB. TB is checked after an HIV test is conducted, without asking for the patient's permission. We are lucky because of the advancements with regard to the level of development, we now have GeneXpert machines. A person coughs up sputum and on that same day he or she gets the results. Medication is given at that time so that a person can be treated for HIV and TB.
The Department of Health has made sure that people get their medication at their local clinics; they started programmes whereby nurses are trained so that when people come for help, they are able to get HIV medication. We are saying that ...]
... these are the initiation programmes, where the nursing staff can provide this treatment.
Lokhu kwenza ukuthi abantu bangayi ezindaweni ezikude, beze ezindaweni abahlala kuzo bathole izeluleko, banikezwe imithi yabo. Sizokhumbula ukuthi abanye bethu babengakazalwa, kwakukhona isifo sochoko saphela, kwabakhona i- influenza bathi yango-1918 cishe sonke njengoba silapha eNdlini sasingakazalwa, nayo yaphela.
Kwakukhona i-TB bafika omame bamaFulentshi bathola umjovo we-TB, iyaphela i- TB. Kwafika umdlavuza, uma umuntu enomdlavuza kwakuthiwa nali ithikithi lakho lokufa, lokuya esihogweni noma ezulwini. Isifo somdlavuza naso sesiyazameka.
Ngineqiniso ukuthi lapha e-Afrika siyogcina esiyitholile indlela yokwenza ukuthi ingculazi ingabhebhetheki. Uma ngabe singakwazi ukuyilapha kodwa siyoyithola indlela yokuthi ingabhebhetheki. Ngiyancoma-ke ukuthi le nkulumo yanamhlanje yenze ukuthi sibambisane sonke, sisebenzisane sonke, saba munye.
Siyethemba ukuthi noma singeke sikwazi ukufinyelela kumaqanda amathathu oMgomo wesithupha wenThuthuko yeMileniyamu ngo-2015, kodwa ngelinye ilanga siyobe sesiwatholile, mhlawumbe eminyakeni yethu yokuphila noma yesizukulwane esizayo. Ngiyabonga. [Ihlombe.] (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)
[This ensures that people do not have to go very far, as they can go to the local clinics and receive counselling and medication. Some of us will remember that - and others were not yet born - there was a disease called leprosy, and now it is no more. There was an influenza outbreak around 1918; almost all of us in this House were not yet born, and it is also no more.
There was TB, then the French woman came along and found a TB injection, and TB is slowly coming to an end. Then there was cancer; when a person was diagnosed with cancer it was said that they received their death ticket to either go to hell or to heaven. Now cancer can be managed.
I am sure that here in Africa we will end up finding a way of stopping the spread of Aids. If we are unable to cure it we will find a way to stop it from spreading. I thank the fact that today's debate has enabled us to co- operate, to work together and to be one.
We hope that even though we will not be able to achieve the three zeros of the sixth objective of the Millennium Development Goals in 2015, one day we will; perhaps in our lifetime or in that of the next generation. Thank you. [Applause.]]