Volume II - The Northern Cape Provincial Spatial Development ...

Northern Cape PSDF
Volume 2
Office of the Premier &
Department of Rural Development & Land Reform
December 2011
• Pixley ka Seme has a HIV/AIDS prevalence of 5.9% with the Umsobomvu Local Municipality
with a HIV/AIDS prevalence of 7.7%.
• Siyanda District has a HIV/AIDS prevalence of 6.6% with the Tsantasabane and Kgatelopele
Local Municipalities having a HIV/AIDS prevalence of 8.3% and 8.4% respectively.
• Frances Baard has a HIV/AIDS prevalence of approximately 9.1% but all the local
municipalities have a HIV/AIDS prevalence of greater than 8.6%.
In 1994, all forms of TB were the scourge of the Northern Cape. The South African Health Systems
Trust found that during the period 1998‐2006, TB in the Northern Cape was almost 30% higher
than the national average. One of the many results of seasonal and migrant working is the
increase of the TB defaulter rate. The incidence rate has increased to 665.4 per 100 000 in 2006
from 300 per 100 000 in 1998. According to TB case smear treatments, the Pixley ka Seme has
8.7%, the Frances Baard has 6%, followed by Siyanda, John Taolo Gaetsewe and Namaqua at 5.9%,
4.1% and 2.1%, respectively.
However, the HIV/AIDS prevalence of the Northern Cape increased from 0.9% in 1995 to 7.7% in
2007. Since 1997, TB has been and is still the leading cause of death in the province. According to
the PGDS TB is still the number one killer disease in the Northern Cape, and improved TB
surveillance and intensified case finding activities have contributed to increased number of TB
cases over the past 5 years. Most of the cases are from Frances Baard and Siyanda with Namaqua
having diagnosed the least of the cases.
Despite the fact that there is an increase in the number of new TB cases cured at first attempt, the
Province is registering an increased number of Multi‐Drug Resistant (MDR) TB. The Siyanda
district has over the last three years, reported high MDR TB numbers. In this district, primary MDR
TB (infection of others by MDR TB without first contracting ordinary TB) is amongst families and
close‐knit communities. Prison conditions can stimulate the spread of TB through overcrowding,
poor living ventilation, weak nutrition and inadequate or inaccessible medical care. These factors
also promote the spread of drug‐resistant TB. The spread of XDR TB at Upington Correctional
services is a source of concern. Isolation facilities and screening of TB in correctional services need
to be improved. HIV and TB co‐infection rates remain high in the province. 73.5% of TB patients
were reported to be HIV positive during 2009. The most affected are people in their productive
years between ages 25‐ 49 years, women and children are particularly most vulnerable. The
vulnerability of these groups will have to be addressed if one were to succeed in transforming the
society of the Northern Cape into one achieving a unified, effective response to the epidemic
(PGDS).
Home‐based care has been introduced to take care of people at their homes within the
community. Home based care is not exclusively for person infected with HIV/AIDS, however most
programs are supporting patients infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. By 2002, the Department of
Social Services had trained 101 volunteers in the Northern Cape, and training was provided by St
John’s Ambulance, St Theresa Hospice in Kimberley and Hospice De Aar. Currently there are
approximately 60 listed organisations that provide home‐based care services in the Northern Cape
Pixley ka Seme SDF, 2007). Organisations such as Itshireletse, Pelonomi, Thusanang, Tshepang,
etc. provide valuable services such as orphans and foster care, HIV/AIDS and TB awareness
programs, legal services, and basic gardening equipment for vegetable gardens etc to communities
in the Northern Cape (USAid, 2009) 40 .
40 USAid, 2009: Pepfar: Activities in Northern Cape Province. Fiscal Year 2009.
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Dennis Moss Partnership