1 December 2006
World AIDS Day is the most important occasion in our daily efforts to curb
the spread of HIV infection and reduce the impact of AIDS in our society. On
this day, we share the plight of children who may be growing up with HIV and
remind ourselves of the daily challenges faced by orphaned and vulnerable
children.
We ponder over the challenges faced by our youth as they resist various
pressures in an effort to delay their sexual debut, and thereafter have to deal
with complexities of exploring their sexuality in the midst of HIV infection.
We relate the pain of many women who remain at the receiving end of gender
inequality and violence. Many of them have to make hard choices between risking
exposure to HIV infection and accepting the possibility of losing a source of
income.
We also seek to understand the struggles of many men to break with the
patriarchal values of the society that raised them. These values turned some of
them into both perpetrators and victims of many anti-social activities.
Despite all the challenges, the World AIDS Day is not a day for despair. It
is an occasion to express our appreciation and support to all the health
workers who are making efforts to reduce the risk of HIV transmission from
mother to child and provide appropriate care and treatment to affected
children.
This is the day to honour the youth for ensuring that the prevalence of HIV
does not increase amongst teenagers in particular, over the past few years. We
appreciate our youth's positive response to the messages of abstinence, being
faithful and condom use and encourage them to continue on this positive
path.
We recommit ourselves to fighting all forms of gender inequalities that
continue to undermine the health and wellbeing of women and their children. We
recommit ourselves to act against all forms of abuse and coercion.
We recommit ourselves to working together as men and women of South Africa
towards attaining our collective goal of a non-sexist society that is free of
all forms of discrimination.
We urge all of us to show that indeed we care.
We express our gratitude to many civil society organisations and other
partners co-ordinated under the reviewed South African National AIDS Council
(SANAC). Without your collaboration and support, we cannot be able to reach
everyone in need of care.
Together we can keep the promise to stop HIV and AIDS!
Issued by: Department of Health
1 December 2006
Source: Department of Health (http://www.doh.gov.za)
