MEC Neliswa Nkonyeni upon the Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT)
partnership campaign with Ukhozi FM at Inkandla
2 March 2007
African National Congress (ANC) Deputy President Jacob Zuma and
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Health Ms Neliswa Nkonyeni led by example today when they
publicly undergone HIV test.
Amakhosi and other community leaders in the area also joined them.
Zuma, on taking this bold step, called on all the people to come forward and
test saying this will assist them to get whatever help the government is
offering.
Nkonyeni said, "In partnership with Ukhozi FM we will try and reach out to
all the people of this province and beyond emphasising the importance of
'knowing your status'. Our concern stem from the figures that tell us that
nationally, only 1,7 million people made use of the government's Voluntary
Counselling and Testing (VCT) 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 VCT under the period
in question.
Through the partnership that we have forged and cemented with Ukhozi FM we
want to change all that. We have worked together launching our campaign at
Wentworth Hospital and we have been to Bhekuzulu, Vryheid and today we are here
at Inkandla. Today our focus is the rural areas where we want to again forge a
partnership with amakhosi so that they can work with us in curbing the spread
of HIV and AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) as well as sexually transmitted infections
(STIs). The overall population of the area under the jurisdiction of Inkosi
Shange where we are above 36 000 but less than 250 people made use of our VCT
last year.
The VCT programme must be understood as the entry point for prevention,
treatment and care interventions.
With few people coming forward for VCT we thus have enrolled very few people
in our antiretroviral (ARV) programme in this area. The situation currently is
not looking good.
The partnership that we are here to nurture with the traditional leadership
is very crucial, we want them to assist in fighting off the stigma that makes
our people afraid to test and get medication.
KwaZulu Natal Department of Health is about fighting disease, fighting
poverty and giving hope.
Issued by: Department of Health, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
2 March 2007
Source: KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government (http://www.kznhealth.gov.za/)
