The Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo and the Eastern Cape MEC for Health, Ms Nomakhosazana Meth will on Wednesday, (10 April) lead the official launch and handover of Self-Care Wellness Vending Machine.
This Vending Machine is the first of its kind in South Africa. It is part of the ongoing efforts to improve uptake of various methods of contraception in response to the scourge of teenage pregnancy in the country.
This initiative is targeting girls and women of childbearing to increase access to Sexual Reproductive Health and HIV prevention services and reduce unplanned pregnancies which lead to unsafe abortions.
The Deputy Minister and the MEC will oversee the actual demonstration to the public of how these vending machines works.
These vending machines will carry a variety of oral contraceptives (such as Nordette, Triphasil, Microval, Ovral, and Emergency contraceptives/Morning after pill) and HIV prevention (such as HIV Self-testing kit, Lubricants, Male and female condoms, Pregnancy test and Sanitary towels).
These will be placed at easy-to-access and busy public areas such as institutions of higher learning, malls or shopping centres, SASSA points, etc across the country.
South Africa has witnessed an alarming surge in adolescent pregnancies in the past three years (2020-2023) with more than 11 500 girls between the ages of 10 and 14 years having delivered babies in public health facilities.
Members of the media are invited to the launch scheduled as follows:
Date: Wednesday, 10 April 2024
Time: 9h00
Venue: Mthatha Ultra City, Nelson Mandela Drive, Mthatha - Eastern Cape
For media enquiries, please contact:
Foster Mohale
National Health Departmental Spokesperson
Cell: 072 432 3792
Sizwe Kupelo
EC Health Department Spokesperson
Cell: 083 378 0196
