Health department urges 21 000 missing HIV/Aids patients to come forward
About 21 000 HIV/Aids patients in Mpumalanga have disappearing without a trace.
HIV/Aids patients who have stopped taking their treatment and disappeared without a trace have been urged to come forward and get assistance to prevent the spread of the virus.
This comes after it was recently revealed that more than 20 000 patients who tested positive in Mpumalanga discontinued treatment and disappeared without a trace.
Health Department tries to find missing HIV patients
Speaking to The Citizen on Friday, Department of Health spokesperson Foster Mohale said: 'There are many people who tested positive for HIV, but never continue with lifesaving ARVs, hence we have recently launched a campaign to find 1.1 million of them and put them in treatment by 31 December 2025.
'I can confirm that so far, we have already reached 520 700 and initiated treatment, which includes women, men and children. This is more than 50% of the target we set ourselves to reach by the end of the year.'
ALSO READ: Mpumalanga silent on 21 000 missing HIV patients
Be that as it may, Mohale said the campaign was not solely about finding the missing HIV patients. Still, the country's efforts to reach a target of 95% of HIV-positive people knowing their status includes putting those infected on treatment to avoid further infection.
Why patients stop their HIV/Aids treatment
Addressing the problem last year, the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) said some of the patients discontinued their treatment because they were annoyed that they had to collect their medication every three months, instead of being given medication for six months. Some patients also blamed the clinics.
'Many have started on treatment and then stopped because of the poor conditions and unwelcoming environment in clinics,' said the TAC's Morongwa Ntini.
ALSO READ: Groundbreaking HIV trial shows patients can control virus without ART
Ntini said offering a six-month plan will motivate patients to stay on treatment as there will be no need for them to visit clinics as often, while the clinic staff will not have to deal with long queues.
In Mpumalanga, it recently transpired that more than 20,000 patients who tested positive discontinued treatment and disappeared without a trace.
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