The Department of Health and Social Development in Limpopo continues to implement some of its key mandates in promoting quality health care for all. From April 2010, the department started with its immunisation campaign whose purpose is to reduce infections of certain diseases. To date remarkable progress has been registered. The first round of the immunisation campaign kick-started on 12 April 2010 and was extended to 7 May 2010. So far, these are the outcomes:
Polio for children between 0 and 59 months (under five years)
* Target: 566 825
* Number vaccinated: 627 893
Measles for children between six months and 59 months (under five years)
* Target: 510 883
* Number vaccinated: 633 229
Measles for children between five years and under 15 years
* Target: 1 259 993
* Number vaccinated: 1 149 241
H1N1 for children living with HIV and AIDS under 15 years (first round for H1N1 vaccination campaign started from 6 to 30 April 2010)
* Target: every child diagnosed with HIV and AIDS
* Number vaccinated: 2928
H1N1 for officials at ports of entry
* Vaccinated: 775
The second round of immunisation will start as follows:
Polio and Vitamin A (24 to 28 May 2010)
* Target: Children under five years
H1N1 (10 to 31 May 2010)
* Target: HIV and AIDS adults and children under 10 years, pregnant women, heart and lung chronic patients, frontline health care workers.
On Friday, 30 April 2010, the Minister of Social Development, Mme Edna Molewa, launched the Provincial HIV Counselling and Testing (HCT) Campaign at Mankweng Sports Ground. This prestigious launch was also witnessed by the Premier of Limpopo, Ntate Cassel Mathale, who responded to the keynote address by the minister by encouraging all and sundry to take charge of their lives and get tested, especially young people in the province.
The MEC for Health and Social Development in the province, Mme Miriam Sekgabutla, also joined in the long queue and got tested. Senior government officials, health professionals, representatives of the Limpopo African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL), members of different stakeholders and most importantly, the people of Limpopo got tested. Different testing stations, not only limited to HIV, but also including tuberculosis (TB) screening, anaemia, blood pressure and blood sugar, were set up. People came out in their large numbers to test and know more about their health status. The outcomes of Friday’s testing campaign are as follows:
HIV testing:
* Clients pre-test counselled for HIV: 1467
* Clients tested for HIV: 1304
* Clients tested HIV positive: 231
Tuberculosis screened:
* Clients screened for TB: 231
* Clients referred for clinical diagnosis of TB: 20
Anaemia:
* Clients screened for Anaemia: 528
Blood Pressure:
* Clients screened for Blood Pressure: 793
Blood sugar
Clients screened for blood sugar: 924
For further enquiries, kindly contact:
Roleta Lebelo
Tel: 015 293 6053
Cell: 082 589 6694
E-mail: lebelorjs@dhw.norprov.gov.za or roleta.lebelo@yahoo.com
Issued by: Department of Health and Social Development, Limpopo Provincial Government
4 May 2010
