Programme director
Members of the Executive Council present
The chairperson and members of the Provincial Portfolio Committee on Health
Executive mayor and counsellors of the John Taolo Gaetsewe district municipality
Mayors and counsellors of the Moshaweng, Gamagara and Ga-Segonyana local municipalities respectively
Representatives from all the different community and religious institutions and structures across the John Taolo Gaetsewe district
Senior managers, district managers and departmental officials from the national and provincial Departments of Health
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
Community members
Good morning and a warm welcome to all present. A special welcome to all the people of Cassel and surrounding communities in the John Taolo district present, we are gathered here today to celebrate, and most importantly launch the National Child Health and Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV campaign of the Department of Health.
As stated in the Constitution in chapter two of the Bill of Rights number 28: "Every child has the right to basic nutrition, shelter, basic health care services and social services. Furthermore, every child has the right to be protected from maltreatment, neglect, abuse or degradation. A child's best interest is of paramount importance in every matter concerning the child."
Our children are our future leaders. Importantly for us as adults, as parents and as leaders in government and in our communities, is to realise that it is our responsibility to ensure our children are raised in environments that are safe and conducive for healthy upbringing and living.
The principles of Batho Pele; meaning, People first, are guiding us as to implement government's mandate of providing a better life for all. It is the responsibility of government to uphold, implement and live these principles. The needs and challenges of our children in terms of health and education must be on the forefront of all platforms that we engage.
The Department of Health is implementing various interventions to increase coverage of key child survival strategies. One of these strategies is the Child Health Awareness campaign, with special focus on the national Department of Health's 18 priority districts.
Moshaweng is one of the 18 districts that have been identified to receive increased support in improving maternal, neonatal, child and women's health and nutrition at all levels of the health care system. Furthermore, the John Taolo Gaetsewe district is also one of the 13 rural nodes across the country that is identified for development via the Presidential development initiative plan.
The campaign offers an opportunity to strengthen the existing health system and deliver a package of essential child survival interventions. This year the National Child Health campaign will take place from 7 to 20 September 2009 in all provinces at clinics and health centres as well as designated schools, crèches, community halls and other specially designated area.
The theme for the 2009 campaign is: 'Caring communities love, care and protect children, let's reach the unreached'. This year the campaign has been extended to include Mother to Child Transmission of HIV.
This campaign address the accelerated implementation of the HIV and AIDS plan and the reduction of mortality due to tuberculosis (TB) and associated diseases which forms part of government's 10 point plan for the health sector.
In addition, the campaign is also in line with the Northern Cape Department of Health's focus on the prevention of mother to child transmission acceleration plan, maternal and infant mortality and combating HIV and AIDS and TB. These focus areas is also addressing the most common conditions in the John Taolo Gaetsewe district namely
HIV and AIDS, TB, hypertension, diabetes, respiratory illnesses and asbestosis, during this year's campaign all children between one and five years will receive the following:
- A Vitamin A supplement, children should receive a vitamin A supplement every six months to fight infections.
- De-worming, worms prevent the absorption of nutrients ad therefore prevent optimum growth.
- Catch-up immunisation protects children against communicable diseases.
- Remember to bring your child's road to health cart with.
- Screening for nutritional status, children below two years should be weighed monthly and children two to five years every three months. Children's mid-upper arm circumference will be taken during the campaign.
During the Child Health and Mother to Child Transmission of HIV campaign the promotion of the following services will be rendered for mothers and women of child bearing age:
- Awareness on Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV. It is important for everybody to know their HIV status. Women should come to the clinic as soon they have missed a period
- Voluntary counselling and testing for HIV
- Couple counselling
- HIV testing is done for all pregnant women at clinics on their first visit which should be before 20 weeks and again at 32 weeks.
- If the woman test positive, she will receive dual therapy or antiretroviral (ARV) depending on her CD4 count.
- Feeding options, discourage mix feeding (encourage one; exclusive breastfeeding for six months or continue up to two years or two; exclusive formula feed) according to the AFASS criteria (acceptable, feasible, affordable, sustainable and safe).
- Babies to be brought to the clinic for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or HIV and Aids tests for babies at six weeks.
- Reproductive health is important as a planned family is a healthy family
- Fatal alcohol syndrome, give health education to pregnant mothers regarding the dangers of drinking and smoking during pregnancy.
- To encourage communities to support HIV positive pregnant women and to eliminate the stigma and discrimination.
I want to encourage all women and mothers to contact their nearest primary healthcare facility for more information and assistance if they are in need. Important to remember is to bring the child's road to health chart (health card) with. Parents and caregivers should also take their preschool children monthly to a clinic or health centre to have their growth monitored and to check whether they are due for immunisation, vitamin A drops or de-worming.
We want to encourage all parents and caregivers to support the campaign by visiting their health care facilities and accessing all primary healthcare services available. The health of our children is our responsibility to ensure they grown up healthy and strong. We want to reemphasise again that regular immunisation, vitamin A supplementation, de-worming and growth monitoring improve the health of children and help to reduce deaths from childhood illnesses.
It is only through working together that we can achieve more in our fight against HIV and AIDS, improving the quality of health services and ensure health service excellence for all in our districts, our province and our country.
I thank you
Enkosi
Kealeboga
