Pretoria - Gauteng MEC for Health, Qedani Mahlangu, has called on all communities to join hands with government in the fight against HIV/Aids and Tuberculosis.
Speaking at the launch of the Prevent, Avoid, Stop, Overcome and Protect (PASOP) campaign in Johannesburg on Thursday, aimed at influencing people’s behaviour and attitude around these diseases, the MEC said the department will work tirelessly to ensure that new HIV infections rate is reduced by at least 50% in the province.
“Through PASOP we seek to move both healthcare workers and communities beyond awareness and towards health seeking behaviour and taking responsibility for our health in general.
“I don’t have a doubt in my mind that, with this campaign, we will be able to eradicate new infections and deaths associated with HIV/Aids and TB,” said MEC Mahlangu.
She said the 50% decrease target will be reached through the use of multifaceted prevention approaches.
These include testing and screening people for HIV and TB, medical male circumcision, initiating people living with HIV who are legible for anti-retroviral treatment and reducing self-reported stigma and discrimination related to HIV and TB.
The MEC said the PASOP strategy will prioritise key populations and vulnerable groups such as sex workers, the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) community, women and youth.
“We have noted that the risk of infection amongst these groups is, amongst other things, fuelled by stigma and discrimination due to people’s sexual identity, age and gender that challenges the social norm,” explains MEC Mahlangu.
The department has also noted that the highest rates of new HIV infections are still found among young single women who have older boyfriends and or multiple sex partners.
“Besides their susceptibility, young women in particular carry a very heavy burden when it comes to HIV. They often have to care for family members living with HIV,” she said.
The department is set to intensify the PASOP campaign by reaching men who are partners to young women, especially the ‘3Ms’ or Mobile Men with Money and men that have sex with men, but do not identify as gay or bisexual.
The campaign will be rolled out in all regions of the province. – SAnews.gov.za
