Antiretroviral treatment in the Western Cape: a success story facilitated by the Global Fund
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2006
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University of Cape Town
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Access to performance-based funding from the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, has enabled the Western Cape Province to race ahead with its antiretroviral (ARV) rollout. As of 2005, The Global Fund's contribution helped enable the province to provide antiretroviral treatment to 65% of those people who desperately need it (a figure in stark contrast to the then South African national average of 10%). This paper illustrates how the Global Fund grant, in its first year, clearly met and in some cases, exceeded its targets particularly in relation to ARV treatment. Based on the research carried out as part of the preparation for this paper, it becomes clear that the Western Cape's progressive and committed management team was a key contributing factor in successfully providing increased access to medical treatment. Other factors that have contributed to the success of the grant project include: the fact that in 1999, the province first initiated provision of ARV drugs to help prevent HIV-positive women transmitting the infection to their infants; and the experiences gained from both the introduction of treatment drugs and from the three-year ARV rollout projects in Khayelitsha and Gugulethu. This paper discusses the factors that have contributed to the success of the Western Cape ARV treatment programme and how, through funding from the Global Fund grant and other national funds, a foundation has been created for a successful programme.
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Naimak, T. H. (2006). Antiretroviral treatment in the Western Cape: a success story facilitated by the Global Fund. Centre for Social Science Research: University of Cape Town.