03 Jun 2015

Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has commended the National AIDS Coordinating Agency (NACA) for its sterling work.

Member of PAC, Mr Ndaba Gaolathe, said since the sitting of PAC, NACA was the only department that had clarity of thought about what their objectives were, how they measured their progress and effectiveness.

“You deserve to be congratulated and many government departments should learn from NACA in terms of scoping and developing the right tools and instruments to measure progress".

Mr Gaolathe suggested that it was high time NACA took on some of the assignments, which were poorly implemented or coordinated by The Ministry of health.

He said the type of work they had been doing of focusing on HIV could be transplanted to other interventions that were required in the health system such as lifestyle ailments and diseases such as cancer and diabetes.

“I wonder if you are not negotiating with government the possibility that this should form part of your mandate,” he said.

In response, NACA Coordinator, Ms Grace Muzila, said the approach of multi-sectoral approach used by NACA, where other development partners like civil society, private sector and public sector works well and should be applied to other ailments.

She suggested that NACA and health ministry ocould work together and apply these approaches and noted that the multi-sectoral approach was the way to go.

On other issues, Ms Muzila said NACA acknowledged the existence of key populations popularly known as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender/Transsexual and Intersex (LGBTI) and that in an effort to get to zero new infections, they were taken on board.

She said sex workers were given HIV/AIDS treatment, regardless of their CD4 count. “I don’t see us to have reached that level without acknowledging first,” said Ms Muzila.
She said with regards to sex in prisons, studies had recently been conducted and that data was still at analysis stage.

“We are still analysing the study and we cannot tell as to what was going on in prisons, but we are picking up something as data is being analysed,” said Ms Muzila.

She said if there were any interventions they are thinking of, they will be taken to leadership and the Ministry of Defence, Justice and Security will also be consulted.

Member of PAC, Mr Dithapelo Keorapetse had raised concerns that NACA was failing to acknowledge the existence of key populations, sex workers and sex in prison, which he said was contributing to the alarming rate of HIV and there were no responses to curb the scourge.

“People go to prisons negative and come out positive,” he said. Meanwhile, the PAC learnt that several studies have been conducted on Lorato condoms and they have passed technical tests through laboratories.

Accessibility study with the ministry of health has also been conducted with regards to allegations and perceptions that the condom breaks and smells.

Director of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Mr Joseph Kefas told PAC that they are seriously considering changing the brand to provide a better condom, but noted that in the meantime circulation of Lorato condoms will continue since it has passed technical laboratory tests.

Lorato condoms are popularly distributed in government facilities and are readily available to the public for free. Ends