On 1 December 2010 - the 22nd commemoration World AIDS Day, South Africans will take the next step in the journey towards being responsible citizens whose rights are protected under the law. Deputy President Mr Kgalema Motlanthe will call on the nation to demonstrate how, collectively we can start to address and overcome the challenges of HIV.
Year 2011 is going to be a year where South Africans take collective responsibility to ensure that:
- We support and influence people within our sphere of influence to reduce risky sexual behaviour in order to prevent the spread of HIV
- We continue to test and influence others to test for HIV and TB as a routine way of ensuring we make the correct healthy lifestyle choices - irrespective of status and
- We conduct dialogues about HIV and AIDS, in our homes, communities, workplaces and places of worship, to support a process that will assist the country in the development of the next National Strategy that will guide our response from 2012 - 2016 and
- Organisations start to interrogate their role as sectors in addressing the epidemic and show that "WE ARE RESPONSIBLE" for each other in ensuring a healthy society.
The World AIDS Day build-up activities 2010 have commenced in November with a series of community dialogues with all social partners engaging in various forums, and these dialogues will run through to June 2011, under the theme "We are Responsible". The theme addresses the collective responsibility of all South Africans in reducing the spread of HIV by knowing their HIV status. It also presents South Africans the opportunity to reinforce their commitment to the National Strategic Plan (NSP) and the HIV counseling and testing (HCT) campaign.
Cabinet ministers will participate in these dialogues by engaging people on the ground to better understand their needs and challenges around HIV and AIDS. The dialogues are targeting public health facilities nationwide in the constituency areas of ministers and deputy ministers joined by the provincial EXCOs, Mayors and Councilors,
These events will begin a process that will assist SANAC and the Department of Health to ensure that input from all sectors of society are considered when we develop the next HIV and AIDS, STi and TB Strategic Plan 2012 - 2016, the blueprint which will guide South Africa on the journey towards an AIDS free society.
With 14 months to go before the end of the current NSP, the process towards the development of the next HIV and AIDS, TB and STi National Strategic Plan 2012 - 2016 must be completed by the third quarter of 2011.
The South African National AIDS Council (SANAC), will coordinate the following dialogues:
November
Theme: Gender Based Violence
It focuses on gender-based violence, against mothers, women and children, as well as the elderly and people with disabilities, and the overall impact GBV has on local communities.
December
Theme: Responsible Behaviour
Building on the 2009 World AIDS Day theme (I am responsible...); community dialogues will focus on responsible behaviour.
January
Theme: Back to School,
In anticipation of the February kick off to the HCT Schools Campaign, January’s dialogues will focus on learners and youth and the school communities at large. In addition to the standard outreach that will be done, the Department of Basic Education and several youth oriented NGOs and organisations, will also be involved. The aim is to get schools to engage in dialogues that will build up to the Schools HCT campaign in February.
Theme: Vote for Life
In anticipation of the Vote for Life campaign, dialogues will focus on responsible behaviour and HIV prevention.
February
Theme: Sexual and Reproductive Health
With the announcement of STI/condom week in mid-February, the dialogues will focus on sexual and reproductive health, including testing with your partner and safer sex.
March
Theme: World TB Day
World TB Day offers a great opportunity to tie in the importance of HCT, as the TB test is part of the routine HIV test. This month’s dialogues will focus on the importance of both.
April
Theme: HIV Counselling and Testing
This month, we will focus our dialogues on HIV counseling and testing.
May
Theme: Candlelight Memorial/Workers Day
This month, we will hold multiple candlelight memorials to raise the awareness of the HCT campaign.
June
Theme: Youth Month
This month, we will mobilise youth once again to know their status before the end of the HCT campaign. This will be a final push on the HCT campaign, meaning that all related testing messages and youth friendly messaging will dominate.
July
Theme: towards the development of the NSP
This month will focus on the results of the dialogues across the country. It will also see a national conference being convened.
Source: Department of Health
