Stakeholder Summary >> South Africa, Review Documentation, 1

HRW indicated that while the work of non-governmental AIDS organizations and civil society groups in South Africa has been widely commended, the Government's response has been criticized, both domestically and internationally. Much of this criticism has focused on the lack of access to antiretroviral treatment (ART) across the country. AI noted that according to the government's Mid-Term Report on the Millennium Development Goals in May 2007, "a cumulative total of 303,788 patients" were in antiretroviral therapy treatment programs at 316 public sector healthcare sites across the country. However, health rights monitoring organizations observed at the time that this still represented less than half of those needing ART. While treatment is free in public health sector facilities, other factors operate to undermine the availability, accessibility and quality of health services for people living with HIV and AIDS. These include, from AI's field observations, a critical shortage of health personnel, particularly in rural and other under-served areas; delays by national and provincial departments of health in the "accreditation" of additional healthcare facilities to provide ART. [Para 30]