Pretoria - To mark World Aids Day, the South African Medical Association (SAMA) has partnered with the Department of Public Service and Administration to get government's half a million public servants voluntarily tested for HIV.
Private practice general practitioners have been called on to assist in the campaign.
"Recognising this day is very symbolic of the power of all people to make a change. We therefore call on our members and the medical fraternity at large to join us in educating and testing 500 000 public servants in the next few months," said SAMA chairman Dr Norman Mabasa.
The campaign not only offers government employees and their families an opportunity to know their status, but it also forms part of SAMA's commitment to de-stigmatise and combat HIV and Aids.
The project is said to be one of the biggest private and public sector initiatives in response to the HIV and Aids challenge and has the potential to change lives as well as people's behaviour.
"It is our obligation to respond to HIV and Aids and to continue educating the public about it. We recognise that there is a crisis and with proper education and precaution, HIV and Aids can be brought to an end," said Mabasa.
The project marks the beginning of a long journey that will see similar endeavours rolled out to other sectors of the population.
The Junior Doctors Association of South Africa (JUDASA) has responded to the call. Spokesperson Dr Tende Mokofane said: "We need to start raising public awareness on all our common chronic illnesses such as HIV, diabetes and hypertension. This will serve to normalise HIV as an ordinary chronic illness similar to diabetes and high blood pressure.
"It will also raise awareness on the latter two diseases, which are grossly underestimated in our awareness campaigns but with health consequences which are equally devastating as HIV."
This year's World Aids Day will be celebrated under the theme 'Getting to Zero', which echoes the UNAIDS vision of achieving 'Zero new HIV infections. Zero discrimination. Zero Aids-related deaths'.
In South Africa, the event will be celebrated in the Eastern Cape under the sub-theme 'South Africa is taking responsibility on a path to eliminating the TB and HIV epidemics'.
