Wiggins
Library staff with a display they put up to remind library
users about the HIV\AIDS disease.
The
rate of HIV infected people in Cato Manor keeps growing
at an alarming rate. It is on record that for every ten
people tested for the HIV virus, six are positive. The
most infected are people between the ages of 15 and 59.
Hope
World Wide in conjunction with the NAPWA (National Association
of People Living With AIDS) have set up a HIV/AIDS support
group based at Ekuphileni Clinic along Bellair Road. The
support group provides counselling, encourages disclosure,
shares experiences, helps people generate an income, provides
medical attention and visits the ill. Counselling is available
on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 am to 2:30 pm.
“Membership of the support group is open to both infected
people as well as those who aren’t infected but are affected
through someone close to them who is,” says Ben Ntsikanye
of Hope World Wide. “Counselling to members is available
at all times. It is advisable but not compulsory that
people belong to HIV\AIDS support groups – it can be the
difference between life and death.”
Hope World Wide was founded by the International Churches
of Christ in Philadephia, USA.
AIDS Day activities under the “I Care, Do You?” theme
are earmarked to occur in December at the Wiggins Multi-Purpose
Centre sports field to support AIDS orphans and the needy.
Members of the public wishing to donate toys, books and
clothing can contact Ben Ntsikanye on 261 8943 or 083
746 3670.
Nevirapine is now available at Ekuphileni Clinic. Nevirapine
is a drug which prevents mother to child transmission
of the HIV virus. It is administered to pregnant women,
and is available free of charge. Pregnant women are encouraged
to undergo an HIV\AIDS test to determine their status
so that if they are positive they can receive Nevirapine
to prevent infecting their child.
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Nevirapine
is an antiretroviral drug. This means that it can reduce
the amount of virus in the mother’s body. If Nevirapine
is given to a pregnant woman who is in labour, it can reduce
the chances that the baby will acquire HIV from its mother.
It reduces the risk of having an infected baby by about
half. Usually about 20% of babies born to HIV infected mothers
are born infected, with Nevirapine the number infected is
reduced to about 12%.
In South Africa, Nevirapine is registered for use by pregnant
women in labour. It is available at some Government Hospitals
and Clinics. It is also available at pharmacies and in Private
Hospitals. Nevirapine is also currently offered at some
Pilot sites throughout the country.
It is also available at the Ekuphileni Clinic in Cato Manor.
Through funding from two international groups “Global Strategies
for the prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV”
and the “Pediatric AIDS Foundation” – the University of
Natal Paediatrics Department is offering voluntary counselling
and testing of pregnant women for HIV. Those women who are
HIV infected will be offered free Nevirapine for themselves
and for their baby.
It is very useful for all pregnant women to be tested for
HIV. This is completely voluntary and you will receive counselling
before you receive the test and also once the test results
are available you will receive counselling again. If you
are positive it is very important for you to know as it
will give you the opportunity to take nevirapine to reduce
the chance of your baby being infected and it will mean
that you will be able to receive support and counsel from
the HIV counsellors at the clinic. They will be able to
encourage you and give you advice on positive living and
how to stay as healthy as possible. If you are negative
it is also important for you to know this as this is a very
big encouragement to help you take steps to ensure that
you adopt a life style and develop strategies that will
help you stay uninfected.
How is Nevirapine administered:
A single 200mg tablet is issued to an HIV infected woman
in the last three months of pregnancy.
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She must drink the tablet when she is in established labour.
- She
will know if she is in labour if
-
She has strong regular contractions
-
Her waters break•
- She
has a show of blood and mucus
-
If she drank a tablet and she wasn’t really in labour
(False labour), it is safe to take another one when she
is really in labour
-
The baby should also receive a single dose of Nevirapine
syrup as soon after birth as possible (0.6ml) , preferably
within 72 hours of birth
-
If the mother had her tablet within 2 hours of delivery,
the baby should receive a dose of Nevirapine straight
after delivery and a second dose of Nevirapine within
48-72 hours of the first dose.
Side Effects of Nevirapine:
- Mild
rash, Jaundice, Hepatitis (infrequent), Nausea and headache
can occur.
-
The side effects are very mild and the benefits of possibly
preventing babies from being infected far outweigh the
disadvantages.
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