Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2005. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
South African Press Association - July 1, 2005
It said the figures were revealed at the Medical Research Council (MRC) KwaZulu-Natal Aids Forum in Pietermaritzburg this week.
About 11 000 adults were on treatment. Of these, at least 70% are women.
The provincial health department's ARV programme manager, Rojer Phili, said 2 126 children had been screened.
Of these, 901 children were found to be eligible for treatment, with 780 of them currently on treatment.
He said that the staff were in some cases reluctant to treat children, as they felt they were not equipped to do so.
To overcome this, a referral system will give medical staff access to paediatricians. Health care workers in the ARV programme are also being trained to treat children.
Phili said a mentorship programme is also under way, focussing on children's issues related to the roll-out. Other obstacles include the fact that in many cases, children do not have birth certificates, which are essential for them to qualify for treatment.
There were also social problems leading to the slow uptake in therapy with regard to children.
"To get a child on therapy, they must have a guardian or parent who is always present," said Phili.
"If this is not the case, then there is a good chance that adherence to the treatment regimen will be compromised. When the children default, they can develop a resistance to the drugs."
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