Soweto - The City of Joburg opened six new antiretroviral treatment (ART) sites across Johannesburg today, not only to mark World Aids Day but to ensure the lifesaving treatment is easily accessible to disadvantaged communities.
The new sites are placed within the Sinqobile, Zondi, Klipspruit West and Green Village Clinics in Soweto; Ebony Park Clinic in Midrand and Eastbank Clinic in Alexandra.
The six sites bring the number of ART clinics in Johannesburg to 25. The city has set a target of reaching 80 percent of the HIV-positive community.
Speaking at the opening of the Sinqobile Clinic site, MMC for Health, Bengeza Mthombeni, said while the site would focus mainly on pregnant woman, no one would be turned away.
Mthombeni, who was also on hand to help disseminate information about the virus to the nearby communities, encouraged the gathering to test for HIV in order to protect themselves and the people they love.
"It is very important to know your HIV status," he said, adding that youth should abstain from sexual intercourse until they are married and those who are already sexually active should always use condoms.
He further pledged that the city would step up the fight against HIV, combating the stigma associated with the virus and increasing the rollout of ART.
The World Aids Day event saw city officials and volunteers spending the day with the community and going door-to-door to meet with families of those affected and infected with HIV and Aids.
Facility manager at Sinqobile, which has a staff compliment of 18, Gwen Leiee, said they would also strive to educate the community around the clinic so that they can be accepting of people living with the virus.
Leiee said the severity of the HIV and Aids epidemic was exacerbated by the area's deprivation levels, the low status of women and other socio-economic factors.
"Even with the knowledge of how to protect oneself from infection, such information may not always be usable in daily situations of economic and social disadvantage that characterise the lives of many young people in poor [communities] and we want to change that."
She said they were trying to break the silence about the disease "because some of the people we worship with are either infected or affected by the disease and need support".
HIV counselor, Lucky Magadi, told BuaNews that it was difficult to gain the trust of the community as some households chased them away.
"I think ignorance and stigma is what is killing our communities. Some of the clients will also start giving you so many stories. Maybe some have not eaten for days," said Magadi, by way of explaining why some people defaulted from treatment.
However, despite the challenges, many counselors said their work gave them satisfaction because they were able to reach many people who would normally not seek out testing in clinics.
Bongani Hadebe, a counselor, said: "We are taking a stand as the youth. We are committed to remain HIV-free ourselves. We are committed to helping other students remain HIV-free."
