the launch of the Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) campaign at Wentworth
Hospital
24 January 2007
It is with great pride and joy that we embrace our new partners in the fight
against the spread of HIV and AIDS. To the management and employees of Ukhozi
FM, we want to explicitly say thank you for your foresight and willingness to
assist in this matter of life and death.
Currently KZN has a population of roughly 10,5 million people and has the
highest HIV prevalence in South Africa. The antenatal HIV prevalence has
steadily increased from 32,5% in 1999 and peaked 40,7% in 2004 even though it
did go down a little last year.
When this information is extrapolated to the general KZN population, it
would suggest that 16,5% of the general population is infected with HIV. This
is of great concern for us because it is the highest in South Africa.
Now to tell you an honest fact, our biggest concern is that we really do not
know how many people are infected in this country and in this province in
particular. The figures that we have tell us that nationally, only 1,7 million
people made use of the Government's Voluntary Counselling and Testing programme
between April 2005 and March 2006.
Now, out of a population of more than 10 million that we have, KwaZulu Natal
accounted for only 310 215 of those who came forward for Voluntary Counselling
and Testing under the period in question.
Today through the partnership that we have forged and cemented with Ukhozi
FM we want to change all that.
We stand here united and inviting every citizen in this beautiful province
to work with us in this awareness campaign, which encourages people to make a
responsible decision of knowing their HIV status.
The theme of this campaign is: "Knowledge is Power: Know Your Status!"
Through this partnership we have made a commitment to visit every corner of
this province making use of road shows to mobilise, urge and cajole our people
to truly partake in this noble exercise.
We think in Ukhozi FM we have a relevant partner, as it is only through such
platforms that messages that discourage stigma and discrimination against those
infected can be espoused.
Ladies and gentlemen of the media, in this campaign we really need you and
ask you to work with us.
We are saying please make use of your media houses to simplify this effort.
Help us to make it known that this is not a complicated exercise and do relay
that testing positive is not equal or tantamount to a death sentence. Help is
indeed at hand. Our comprehensive HIV and AIDS Care, Management and Treatment
plan is in place to cater for those infected and affected. We have also made a
provision for all those on Antiretroviral programmes to receive nutritional
packs to ensure their adherence to treatment and also to improve their lives in
general.
Again with the help of the media, we want to encourage men to take their
sexual lives seriously as the statistics we have about HIV and AIDS are mostly
based on tests performed on women during their antenatal classes. Simple
question is where are the partners?
We all stand to benefit from the results gleaned from this process that is
actionable in all settings, be it urban or rural. What is good about it is that
VCT is adaptable to our patients' needs; it can be done for individuals and
couples, for people of all ages and of all backgrounds. What is more positive
is that with proper training, members of the clients' local community,
regardless of their educational level, can do the counselling component.
We want to emphasise that Voluntary Counselling and Testing is one of the
key prevention strategies used to slow down the spread of HIV and AIDS and
mitigate the impact of HIV and AIDS. The VCT programme must be understood as
the entry point for prevention, treatment and care interventions.
As a department we have 740 Voluntary Counselling and Testing sites:
* 55 hospitals
* 14 community health centres
* 501 primary health centres
* 100 mobile clinicsd
* 70 non-medical sites.
We encourage everyone to utilise these services and we say any information
relating to the utilisation of these services is treated with maximum
confidentiality.
As the province we want to make it known that we are taking this epidemic
very seriously judging from our deliberate increase of funding for our HIV and
AIDS programmes from R35 million in 2000 to R800 million currently.
This time we do not want to be blamed by our media partners for sending out
ambiguous messages. Please work with us to:
* encourage the youth to delay sexual debut
* reinforce the ABC prevention message among all age groups
* promote awareness of symptoms, and facilitate access to appropriate
information and prompt treatment of sexually transmitted infections
(STIs)
* encourage women and girls to take responsibility for their own reproductive
health
* underline the importance of partner notification and partner treatment, as
this will prevent re-infection
* encourage the consistent and correct use of condoms to prevent STIs including
HIV and unwanted pregnancy.
Ladies and gentlemen, work with us in our endeavours to create an AIDS free
generation.
Walter Elliot, I do not think was wrong when he said:
"Perseverance is not a long race
It is many short races, one after another."
We will overcome.
I thank you.
Issued by: Department of Health, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
24 January 2007
