Pretoria - KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, has called on health professionals and community leaders to work with the department to help prolong the lives of South Africans.
Addressing faith leaders, councillors and members of hospitals boards during his visit to eThekwini on Thursday, Dhlomo urged the stakeholders to play a meaningful role in turning the tide against the gloomy picture of diseases in the province, noting that government cannot achieve this alone.
"In countries such as China, Japan, Brazil and Cuba people live up to the ages beyond 70 years because of no miracle from God but by preventing diseases," he said.
The MEC is on a road show visiting various districts and talking to community leaders about the need to forge close ties in the improvement of the health status of the people of KwaZulu-Natal.
Presenting the health status of the province compared with other provinces, Dhlomo said the Independent Electoral Commission had to remove more than 80 000 people from the voters' roll before the 2009 elections due to death.
"This number is more than a combination of annual deaths from three provinces. Again, these were not older people dying naturally, these were in the ages below 30 years... girls are contracting HIV from the age of 15 years in KwaZulu-Natal, but the picture is different for boys in the same province," he said.
He noted that during the medical male circumcision campaign, boys in the 15 - 19 years age group all tested HIV negative. "Where are these young girls getting this HIV?" a concerned Dhlomo asked, adding that the challenge is to change the picture of disease in the province.
He further announced that he will soon be launching a healthy lifestyle workplace programme at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central and King Edward VII Hospitals to encourage health workers to engage in physical activity.
