Thursday 4 March 2004

This site will be updated on11 March  2004 at 17:00

Lifestyle - Leefstyl

• New hope for people living with HIV/AIDS
• Plante moet uit
• Herb society meets
• Neem tog boeke terug
• Hobbies, art and craft to feast
• Course for volunteers

New hope for people living with HIV/Aids

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A TOTAL of 36 patients, ten of them children, are already receiving anti-retroviral treatment for HIV/Aids from the clinic at TC Newman Hospital in Paarl.

The clinic started treating patients last month as part of the long delayed roll-out of treatment. According to Dr Nelis Grobbelaar they have 400 patients whose CD4 count was checked.

"We estimate that if 10% of the population is infected with HIV, that we need to care for about 20 000 HIV positive patients in the region," said Dr Grobbelaar.

"In 10% of HIV infected individuals the disease has moved on to develop Aids,

HOPE. Dr Nelis Grobbelaar with some of the anti-retroviral medicines now available.

bringing the total of people needing anti-retroviral treatment (ARV) in our region (up to Vredendal) to 2000.

Aim

"The aim will be to put 500 (10% of people needing treatment) patients on ARV treatment in the first year and screening about 2500 patients for treatment.

"That means that we need to start ten new patients every week on treatment and screen about 50 patients per week."

At the moment the clinic in Paarl is already booked up to April and all the clinics in the region have lists of patients waiting for screening and treatment, if needed.

"Getting the patients won't be the problem, handling them effectively is the challenge," said Dr Grobbelaar.

Treatment protocols for adults and children have been established. Drug procurement systems are also in place and training programmes implemented.

Dr Grobbelaar says patients that qualify for ARV are screened very carefully.

"We must first determine if the patient is fully aware of all the facts surrounding the illness, understand the consequences of ARV and has a functional support system."

The Provincial Administration of the Western Cape has committed itself to this comprehensive HIV/Aids programme to address all aspects of the pandemic, via the relevant departments.

The broad goals of the provincial programme are to prevent the further spread of the disease, to ensure care and support for those individuals infected with HIV and to ensure care and support for those individuals, families and communities whose own support systems have been affected by Aids.

Dr Grobbelaar says the goal is to establish a functioning anti-retroviral clinic that provides effective care and appropriate treatment to as many as possible patients.

This programme is part of the holistic care of people at all stages of HIV infection and can only succeed if all the strategies of the comprehensive plan are implemented in the region.

Infection

The West Coast/Winelands region includes Drakenstein, Berg River, Swartland, Cedarberg, Matzikama and Saldanha Bay.

The population for the region is 500 000 and the antenatal prevalence of HIV infection ranges from 6,7% to 11,4%.

There was an increase in HIV in all these sub-districts, with Paarl going from 4,5% in 2000 to 11,4% in 2002.

Most South African data on HIV/Aids prevalence is based on the national anonymous surveys of women attending public antenatal clinics. Nationally, the prevalence is estimated at 26,5%.

Although the Western Cape has the lowest incidence of HIV, there has been a substantial increase amongst antenatal clinic attendees over the past five years, from 5,2% in 1998 to 12,4% in 2002.

The marked increase in HIV and a significant increase in new infections in the age group 15 to 19 years suggest that the epidemic has not yet established in the Western Cape.

What to do

Dr Grobbelaar urged people that don't know their HIV status to visit their nearest clinic for testing and counselling.

SATERDAG kom die Vriende van Bainskloof weer in die pas bymekaar om indringerplante uit te kap. Die kap-aksie is harde werk, maar leersaam, en doen wondere vir die terugkeer van die berg se inheemse plantegroei.

Belangstellendes is welkom om Saterdag om 10:00 by Eerste Tol te ontmoet. Trek ou klere, stapskoene en 'n hoed aan en bring 'n byltjie en saag, water en padkos.

Volgens voorsitter Sieg Kröger is die werk  "nie 'n piekniek nie, maar daar word later lekker ontspan." Skakel hom by 082-745-9810 met navrae.

Vriende van Bainskloof is ook erg bekommerd oor die veiligheid van die gedenkplate by Eerste Tol. Oral word hierdie plate gesteel en as skroot  verkoop.

Die komitee  het nou toestemming gekry by  die Erfenishulpbron Berstuurdiens om die plate met klip te vervang en die plate  in die Wellington Museum te bewaar.

Hulle  benodig ongeveer R4000  om albei gedenkplate te vervang.

Skakel die Museum by tel  873- 4710 of vir Sieg by 082-745-9810 as u wil help

THE Drakenstein Herb Society's next Herb Happening will be held on Saturday at 10:00 at Bien Donné werf in the historical manor house off the R45.

Mike Stander of Betucare Science & Technology will talk on natural health products. His special focus will be on the benefits of Buchu. The general discussion will be on fennel - Ann Slater will give a short introduction.

Entry is R20 (members R10). The membership fee of R30 per year is now due. For reservations please contact Tania on 874-2101 or Elmarie at 874-1684.

DIE biblioteke in Drakenstein Munisipaliteit (Meulstraat, Drakenstein, Mbekweni, Jan van Riebeeckstraat, Vanwyksvlei, Gouda en Saron) gaan gedurende Maart alle laat biblioteekmateriaal boetevry terug ontvang ter viering van Nasionale Biblioteekweek.

Biblioteekweek is vanjaar van 15 tot 19 Maart met die tema "Biblioteke in 'n dekade van demokrasie".

Daar sal weer soos verlede jaar houers beskikbaar wees by Vee's Video, Centre Point en Food World in die Paarl, Max Supermark en die klinieke in Mbekweni, Newton Kliniek en Kwikspar in Vanwyksvlei en Shoprite op Wellington.

Boeke kan in die houers geplaas word indien u nie by u biblioteek kan uitkom nie of gedurende die toe tye van die biblioteke.

Die Biblioteekdiens nooi almal uit om weer 'n wettige biblioteekgebruiker te word en om al daardie biblioteekmateriaal wat al so lank by u huis (of die huise van vriende) rondlê, boetevry terug te neem gedurende Maart.

A BIG hobbies, arts and crafts fair will be held in the Paarl town hall on 26 and 27 March under the auspices of the Rotary Club of Drakenstein.

Exhibitors will include Johann Pretorious, who will be demonstrating his hobby of wood carving at the fair.

The income will be used to fund Rotary's TB Project, Food Garden Project, Wheelchair Project and Operation Hunger Project.

There are still a few stands available for exhibitors. Preference will be given to applicants that will give animated demonstrations of their skills.

Information can be obtained from Impie de Jager 872-3010 or Aubrey Wilkinson 082-893-171.

THE Paarl Hospice invites you to a long overdue, revamped Volunteer course commencing on 15 March.

It will be presented in eight sessions from 9 to 12 on Monday to Wednesday mornings, excluding school and public holidays. The course fee is R150.

The course had been designed to help volunteers explore quality of life and death, issues around loss and bereavements, and the spirituality and physical needs of patients' care.

There has been a tremendous increase in the demand for hospice care and volunteers are invited to join Hospice in finding a way  to deal adequately with this demand.

They need all the help they can get in various areas of the work such as administration, fundraising, companions, physical care, bereavement, day care and public relations.

The hospice philosophy of quality palliative care requires the  involvement of the public who bring with them a special quality care. To get involved, phone Paarl Hospice on 872-4060 week days between 08:30 and 13:30 and secure your place.

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