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The mood of clinicians working in the field of HIV medicine has
been heartened by reports in the press of recent statements by
both the Deputy President and Deputy Minister of Health.
Both of these eminent individuals have advocated increased
access to antiretroviral drugs and a speeding up of the
antiretroviral roll-out programme. The National Strategic Plan
for 2007 - 2011 is eagerly awaited, as this document will spell
out the detail of how this will be achieved.  One model is to

decentralise HIV/AIDS care to remove the load from over-
burdened central facilities.  The article by Nathan Ford et al.
outlines the Lusikisiki model of decentralised HIV care.
Attention should be paid to this type of initiative and satellite
peripheral centres of excellence need to be established
throughout rural South Africa.  The initiative of the Society to
forge closer links with the Rural Doctors Association of South
Africa (RUDASA) will go a long way in facilitating the
establishment and support of such centres.

New drugs are eagerly awaited in South Africa in the fight
against HIV.  The tardiness of the Medicines Control Council
(MCC) in registering such drugs, e.g. tenofovir, is disappointing.
It is hoped that the registration of this drug will take place
soon and that it will be available to the Committee advising
the National Strategic Plan so that we may have less toxic
regimens. The expertise of the Clinicians Society has been
offered to the MCC to facilitate expert opinion regarding
registration of new drugs.

The Editor and staff of the Journal would like to wish all our
readers the best wishes during the season of goodwill and
every good wish for the year 2007.

DES MARTIN
Editor

FROM THE EDITOR