Chair, hon Ministers, the ACDP notes the growth in the allocation for HIV/Aids and STI subprogrammes. Provincial spending of this grant, which is clearly intended to facilitate the roll-out of dual therapy for the prevention-of-mother-to-child-transmission programme, as well as expanding access to antiretrovirals for people living with HIV, must be closely monitored.
Hon Minister, reports that government will be short of R1 billion for HIV and Aids drugs in this financial year raised serious concerns. Are we going to see a repeat of the shortages experienced in the Free State earlier this year, which prompted the province to stop giving treatment to new patients? South Africa has one fifth of the world's HIV-infected people. Do we know what we require to meet the need for treatment? Has there ever been a proper costing, or is it just hit-and-miss?
The maternal, child and women's health and nutrition subprogramme, which barely increased - less than 1% in real terms - is another concern for the ACDP. Statistics reveal each year 1 600 women are dying from complications in pregnancy and childbirth, 20 000 babies are dying before they are a month old, 75 000 children are dying before the age of five, and 20 000 babies are stillborn. The ACDP mourns the loss of these women and their little ones.
Shockingly, some have concluded that the easy way out of this dilemma is for women not to carry their babies to full term, and in addition to these statistics, hundreds of thousands more babies have been destroyed while still in their mothers' wombs, in line with government policy.
Efforts to strengthen emergency medical services, in line with the 2010 Fifa World Cup commitments, are noted and welcomed. Appalling conditions in hospitals, with drastic shortages of beds and staff, however, do not appear to be a major consideration in this budget. The previously minimal increases in the health budget have barely kept up with inflation, let alone addressing escalating needs. Will this budget increase of 2,1% in real terms be sufficient to turn things around?
The ACDP will be supporting this budget, if only to give the new administration and new Minister the benefit of the doubt, despite our grave concerns. I thank you. [Time expired.]