Health dept 'manipulated' survey

2008-09-11 09:17

Pretoria - The Department of Health is to convene an "urgent expert meeting" following controversy around its 2007 antenatal survey, it announced on Wednesday.

"The department will urgently convene a meeting of experts and international organisations such as UNAids to deal with the controversy around its 2007 antenatal survey which tracks the HIV trends in the country," said departmental spokesperson Fidel Hadebe in a statement.

This followed a meeting held in Pretoria on Wednesday between director-general Thami Mseleku, scientists and researchers.

"The meeting, convened by Mseleku, was aimed at determining whether there were any truths in the media reports that the department may have manipulated the survey methodology in order to distort the results in its favour," he said.

Same methodology

The department had used the same methodology as in previous years, contrary to media reports that suggested otherwise.

"We treat with contempt the statements that suggest some manipulation of the methodology on our part as the department. We are an ethically and professionally driven department and we take such statements and allegations as an attack on our integrity," said Mseleku.

"The survey results were placed on the department's website www.doh.gov.za three weeks ago as part of the department's commitment to transparency."

According to the report, the number of pregnant women with HIV fell from 29.1% in 2006 to 28% in 2007.

Details of the meeting and its venue were not yet available.

- SAPA