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• medicines to treat HIV (including drugs to prevent mother-to-child 
  transmission and infection after rape or needlestick injury).
• treatment to prevent opportunistic infections like flu and TB.
• regular monitoring of disease progression and response to therapy.
• ongoing patient support via a Nurse-Line.
• Clinical Guidelines and telephonic support for providers.
• assistance in pre-authorisation of hospital admissions.
• assistance in finding a registered counsellor for emotional support.

Every care has been taken to maintain patient confidentiality.

The doctors, pharmacists and nurses in AfA have all signed confidentiality 
agreements. They work in a confidential unit with separate telephone, 
fax and private mail bag facilities.

Each time an AfA member sees a different doctor, the number of people 
who are aware of their condition increases, and confidentiality of their 
status decreases. Patients are encouraged to stay with one doctor, 
who will get to know them well.

A lot of progress has been made in HIV/AIDS treatment. The earlier a 
person knows they have HIV, the sooner they can get help. By joining 
Aid for AIDS, members will get benefit from:

Medication - AfA authorises payment of antiretroviral drugs (HIV/AIDS 
drugs) and other medicines to treat HIV/AIDS. All contracted schemes 
give an extra amount, in addition to the usual medicine benefits, to cover 
these drugs.

Regular examinations and tests - AfA reminds the patient to go for 
regular examinations and tests. This helps their doctor monitor their 
health. If changes to treatment are needed, the patient’s doctor can 
simply contact AfA for any necessary authorisation.

Vaccinations - AfA authorises payment of vaccinations to protect you 
against illnesses like flu and TB. These will affect you far more badly than 
a person who is healthy, especially if your immune system is very weak. 
Remember that HIV breaks down your immune system over time.

Hospitalisation - If you need hospitalisation, AfA will put you and your 
doctor in contact with a person to arrange pre-authorisation of your 
admission. This person will also manage your hospital stay and has been 
chosen to maintain confidentiality. Your hospital accounts will be paid 
from your usual hospital benefits.

Counselling - Patients need help to deal with emotions and difficulties 
that come from being infected and living with HIV. AfA will therefore 
advise patients and their families to seek support from a registered 
counsellor who can help them cope. AfA has a list of various counsellors 
and support groups in South Africa, and will gladly provide this information
to its members.

Ongoing monitoring and personal support - The AfA team is specially 
trained and will work with the patient's doctor to ensure the most 
appropriate and cost-effective treatment. They will also contact the 
patient and their doctor, reminding them to do regular check-ups. The 
doctor can contact AfA to adjust authorised treatment, where necessary.

Patients also have access to a Nurse-Line, for help with:

Administrative queries - how to obtain and complete application forms, 
as well as claiming procedures and benefit information.

Clinical queries - questions about HIV-related illnesses, drugs and special 
investigations.

Clinics and support services - advice on clinics and available support 
groups.

1. If a member or dependant are HIV positive and belong to a medical 
   scheme option that uses Aid for AIDS, they should contact AfA in 
   confidence, on 086 0100 646, and ask for an application form. The
   contracted schemes are as follows : Meridian, Nampak and
   AACMED. Forms are only available from AfA to ensure confidentiality.
2. The applicant/legal guardian must complete the first section of the 
   application.
3. The applicant’s doctor should examine them and complete the 
   application form. This is an extra consultation that will be paid for if 
   your doctor submits his/her account to Aid for AIDS.
4. The completed form should be faxed, free of charge, to AfA. It can 
   also be posted.
5. The AfA medical team will review the application details and contact 
   the patient's doctor, if necessary, to discuss a treatment programme.
6. Both the applicant and their doctor will receive letters confirming the 
   treatment that will be paid or the tests that need to be done. Soon 
   after these letters have been sent, an AfA nurse counsellor will 
   contact the patient to explain their treatment.
7. The patient’s doctor is asked to write a matching prescription for 
   any medicines shown in the treatment plan. This prescription should 
   be 
   given to the pharmacist, together with the treatment letter, in order 
   for the medicines to be dispensed.
8. Patients should continue to see their doctor regularly, or when there
    is a problem. Their doctor will contact AfA to keep them informed 
   and to update their treatment plan if necessary.
9. All medicine claims for HIV/AIDS treatment must be sent directly to 
   Aid for AIDS at this address:

Accounts
Private Bag X1003
Claremont
7735

All other accounts should be submitted to the Scheme administrator. 
Staff at the administrator are committed to keeping all account 
details confidential.

• Should you have any queries, please contact Aid for AIDS on 
  086 0100 646 or visit their website at www.aidforaids.co.za.

The following ATIC centres offer advice on HIV/AIDS, as well as infor-
mation on where to get tested and how to find support. ATIC also 
trains people in HIV/AIDS awareness and counselling. Their services are 
available to everyone in South Africa.

Johannesburg (011) 725-6711/2/3

Pretoria (012) 308-8743

Cape Town (021) 797-3327

Durban (031) 300-3104

Bloemfontein (051) 405-8544

Port Elizabeth (041) 506-1415

East London (043) 705-2621

Pietersmaritzburg (0331) 951-613

Vanderbijlpark (016) 950-5337

Umtata (047) 531-2763

Welkom (057) 353-3029

Nelspruit (013) 759-2167

Pietersburg (015) 290-2363

The above numbers are presently correct. However, due to possible
changes, please check your local telephone directory if you experience 
problems getting through