People living in Limpopo will have access to free healthcare services on Friday at the Madiseng Village Sports Ground in Burgersfort, through the ‘Cheka Impilo’ campaign.
Health Deputy Minister Dr Joe Phaahla together with Limpopo Health MEC Dr Phophi Ramathuba will lead the mass health screening and testing campaign.
Tuberculosis (TB) screening and testing, HIV counselling and testing, vitamin A supplementation; blood pressure, cholesterol, and immunisation services among others will be provided to the public.
The health screening is aimed at encouraging individuals, families and communities to undergo regular free health screening and testing services provided by the department and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) across the country.
Launched during World AIDS Day last year, the campaign aims to accelerate the screening and testing for HIV, tuberculosis (TB), sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) including hypertension and diabetes.
The campaign is also a call to action which seeks to move South Africans from a curative response to the adoption of a healthy lifestyle and behaviour change. The campaign is a response to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s first State of the Nation Address in February 2018. In it, the President called for the initiation of an additional two million people on HIV treatment by 2020.
The health screening will be held in partnership with Rotarians for Family Health & AIDS Prevention (RFHA), Gift of the Givers and other local stakeholders.
The department has been working with the Rotarians since 2013 through Annual Rotary Family Health Days which aims to bring primary health services closer to the disadvantages communities.
The department reminded the public to bring along their children’s ‘Road to Health’ booklets. – SAnews.gov.za
