Government urges public servants to contact the internal employee health and wellness units or to contact their nearest public health facilities for a free HIV Counseling and Testing.
Scaling up Public Service response to HIV/AIDS
The tragic impact of HIV/AIDS on the health of the South African population must never be underestimated. The Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) in partnership with the Department of Health (DOH) and the South African National Aids Council (SANAC), has a national HIV Counselling and Testing (HCT) campaign to counsel and test the 1,2 million public servants.
The Public Service has a crucial role to play in mitigating the impact of HIV/AIDS and TB as part of its overall focus on the health and well-being of its employees. Large numbers of people are also direct dependants of public servants. As a result, the fate of society as a whole is closely intertwined with the health and well-being of public servants.
This project provides public servants with opportunity to:
- be counselled, and informed on the nature of HIV&AIDS, STI, and TB
- be encouraged to adopt a healthy lifestyle to prevent development of other non-communicable diseases
- get tested for HIV and screened for TB and other non-communicable diseases
- know that TB can be cured even if you are HIV positive
- get treated for AIDS and TB before your immune system is too weak
- prevent HIV/AIDS and TB related deaths
- prevent new HIV and TB infections
- pPrevent HIV& AIDS and TB related stigma.
Long life is a guarantee for those who test early, get treated early and prevent TB which attacks those with unknown and untreated HIV infection.
In this workplace HCT Intensification Project, public servants and their families will be provided with an opportunity to:
- access HCT services at the public health facility nearest to their home, away from the working place
- be referred for testing for HIV and be screened for TB and other health conditions during hours that suits them
- know their HIV status early during the course of infection, before the CD4 count is below 350 cell/ml
- be assured that their information will be treated confidentiality
- access a disease management programme when their immune systems is still high, thus provinding the possibility of responding well to antiretroviral treatment (ART).
For more information on HIV/AIDS and free health education contact the employee health and wellness programme in your department.
More information on the HCT campaign:
- Department of Health
- Speeches & statements
