The experience of the Bela Bela HIV prevention group with the roll out of Antiretroviral therapy at the Primary Health Care level

The use of antiretroviral therapy (ART) has been shown to have significantly improved morbidity; mortality and prognosis of AIDS related conditions.1 HIV/AIDS has become a chronic manageable condition in the developed world yet in most parts of the developing world HIV patients do not have access to antiretroviral therapy.2 There is evidence, mainly from the Western Cape and Gauteng, that ART can work at the PHC level, however there is no literature about it from less resourced provinces like Limpopo. Bela Bela is a sunshine town 100 km north of Pretoria, with a population of 63000 inhabitants. The Bela Bela HIV Prevention Group which was formed in 1996 by community members who are concerned about HIV has performed17740 tests in the area from 1997 to February 2005 of which 7780 were found to be positive. The antenatal survey coordinated by the National Department of Health in the year 2004 found that the HIV seroprevalence for the Waterberg district in which Bela Bela is situated is 26.6 % while Limpopo province's average is 19.3 %.3 This paper covers issues related to achievements and challenges encountered during the first six months of an antiretroviral (ART) roll-out by the HIV/AIDS Prevention Group at the Primary Health Care level in Bela Bela, Limpopo Province.For full text, click here:SA Fam Pract 2006;48(4):56-5

An Approach to the Diagnosis, Treatment and Referral of Tuberculosis Patients: The Family Practitioners\' Role

The family practitioner in private practice is a key role player within the primary health care system and should play a bigger role in national tuberculosis (TB) control. TB training at medical undergraduate level is often not adequate and continuous medical education is necessary to develop capacity among private family practitioners. The Department of Health should also encourage the involvement of especially the private family practitioners in district TB control, which is a long overdue public-private interaction. This article discusses the role of the family practitioner to better diagnose, treat and refer tuberculosis patients. South African Journal of Family Practice Vol. 50 (4) 2008: pp.44-5

Disease patterns in the medical wards of a rural South African hospital

A retrospective record review was done to determine disease patterns of patients admitted in the medical wards of St. Rita's Hospital, in rural Limpopo Province of South Africa. Hypertension dominated the disease pattern followed by pulmonary tuberculosis, gastro-enteritis, pneumonia, diabetes, and asthma. The findings of this study suggest that diseases prominent in the affluent urban population affect patients seen at this rural hospital. The focus of primary care physicians should be to manage chronic illnesses adequately at the clinic level in order to reduce hospital admissions due to these diseases. Improvement in the tuberculosis control programme, living conditions, provision of safe, clean water and proper sewage disposal will help to reduce the incidences of tuberculosis and diarrhoeal diseases in this rural population. Future studies are necessary to monitor the trend of disease patterns in this rural population. SA Fam Pract 2003;45(4):14-15 Keywords: Disease patterns, medical wards, rural, hospital, South Afric