Klerksdorp Record, Klerksdorp - The NW Department of Health in the Dr KK District calls on patients to take priority in their health and return to and start HIV treatment.
“Returning to treatment and adhering to it, has been proven to be the only way to close the 1.1 million gap of missing HIV clients in the system. In the Dr KK district that includes the Kosh Area, 7 795 patients have stopped their treatment and must now be traced to urge them to continue. ” said BP Maboe, Chief Director: District Health Services.
He said the goal is to contribute to the country’s efforts to achieve the 95-95-95 targets, ensuring that 95% of people living with HIV are diagnosed, 95% of those diagnosed are on treatment, and 95% of those on treatment achieve viral suppression.
The “Close the Gap” campaign in South Africa aims to put an additional 1.1 million people living with HIV on treatment.
This campaign, launched by the Minister of Health in February 2025, focuses on identifying and supporting those who know their HIV status but are not receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART). “We would like to urge the communities in the district to help contribute in closing the gap by getting tested, knowing their status and getting on treatment,” said Maboe. The district has weekly outreach activities and campaigns in all three sub-districts in an effort to reach more clients and ensure initiation and returning to treatment.
“We engage in these activities so that we can bring testing and screening services closer to our people in the district,” he concluded.
