North West - The North West Department of Health and Social Development will this financial year upgrade intervention sites, which are used to help prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS among truck drivers and sex workers.
The High Transmission Area (HTA) programmes which are implemented at the intervention sites started in 2005 in the areas that could not be reached through awareness campaigns.
There are currently four intervention sites and many informal intervention sites referred to as Hot Spots.
Tabling her department's Budget Vote on Tuesday, MEC Rebecca Kasienyane said plans were underway to upgrade two "Hot Spots" into intervention sites.
She said in order to successfully implement the project, 52 peer educators have been recruited, trained and placed at intervention sites.
"We will increase the number of intervention sites from four to 10, apart from public health facilities, condoms are also availed to the public at entertainment places, social events, campaigns and other non-public facilities," Ms Kasienyane said.
She said a total number of 6 140 920 male condoms and 124 151 female condoms were distributed across the province.
Ms Kasienyane said the department has also put in place measures to effectively deal with provincial infrastructural challenges in its effort to increase access to the Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) services.
