From the Executive

'The times they are a-changing.' The South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) reconvened at an impressive inaugural meeting in Pietermaritzburg on 4 October 2012, attended by the Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsaeledi, and Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe. SANAC announced that the incidence of mother-to-child transmission of HIV was down and life expectancy was up – all very good news. However, in my opinion, the most important development is that fixed-dose combinations are now going to be part of the national tender. While I think that this will improve adherence, more importantly, we will not be faced with stock-out of a single drug. The impact of patients having received two out of three of their drugs will be felt in the years to come.

The Southern African HIV Clinicians Society has been invited to be a plenary member of SANAC, so we will continue our role as the voice of reason to the Department of Health, to ensure that the goals of the National Strategic Plan are achieved. This is not the time to let up in any way – an AIDS-free generation is within our grasp.

Lastly, if you have not yet made travel arrangements to attend the conference of the Southern African HIV Clinicians Society in Cape Town from 25 to 28 November 2012, you should get onto it as soon as possible. Register for the conference as soon as you can. The line-up of speakers is impressive, and we have very interesting debates planned. Skills building will be provided in many areas, and conference attendees will have the chance to rub shoulders with the academics. More than that, the conference will present an opportunity to meet a number of brave and hardworking healthcare providers from the region. I encourage you to share your experiences and learn.

 

F Conradie

President

Southern African HIV Clinicians Society

Johannesburg

fconradie@witshealth.co.za