REVIEW OF PROGRESS AND EXPENDITURE ON THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR HIV AND AIDS FOR SOUTH AFRICA

The main objective of this paper is to review progress made in the implementation of South Africa's Comprehensive Plan for HIV and AIDS (CPHA, or simply ‘the Plan’) from its inception in 2004 to date [2006], with special emphasis on anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment rollout. In light of the HIV and AIDS situation in the Sub-Saharan Africa, and South Africa in particular, there is an urgent need for governments to roll out the ARV drugs to people living with HIV and AIDS. This has to be complemented with strong political will, parliamentary oversight, real private-public partnerships, and of course the involvement of civil society. The South African government must as a matter of urgency develop and utilise effective monitoring and evaluating systems to validate the effectiveness and efficiency of its responses to the epidemic. Increasing HIV prevalence rates demand that the government must strengthen its HIV prevention strategies to ensure that the majority of people uninfected remain that way. Such improved government response would eventually reduce the socio-economic impact of the epidemic in South Africa. The CPHA was devised at a time when the price of ARVs had decreased significantly. Indeed, the plan noted that: “Two years ago, this programme for comprehensive care and treatment would have been impossible amongst other things due to the cost of the medicines and laboratory tests required.”1 Thus the main purpose of this paper is to review the implementation of the CPHA and to report on the new budgets and expenditures for the Comprehensive Plan in the health sector. Special attention is given to the delivery of ARV treatment to AIDS patients. Methods used to collect data for this review included a detailed literature review (desk study analysis) of official government budget and expenditure documents, interviews and email correspondence with key government officials and engagement with the Joint Civil Society Forum formed to monitor the implementation of the CPHA by the Department of Health.