By Ilhaam Hoosain and Rhodé Marshall
01 December 2007
Today marks International World Aids Day with people all over the world focusing on the epidemic which kills thousands of people everyday.
About 90% of new HIV/Aids infections over the past two years have been among young women between the ages of 16 and 24 years -this is according to Human Sciences Research Council president, Dr Olive Shisana.
Shisana says in order to reduce the number of people living with the disease; the government should start implementing intervention strategies that are evidence-based.
“We will continue to come back year after year saying that we had 2.5-million new infections in the world. In our country I can say that there is a glimmer of hope in so far as the young people are concerned,” says Shisana.
01 December 2007
Today marks International World Aids Day with people all over the world focusing on the epidemic which kills thousands of people everyday.About 90% of new HIV/Aids infections over the past two years have been among young women between the ages of 16 and 24 years -this is according to Human Sciences Research Council president, Dr Olive Shisana.
Shisana says in order to reduce the number of people living with the disease; the government should start implementing intervention strategies that are evidence-based.
“We will continue to come back year after year saying that we had 2.5-million new infections in the world. In our country I can say that there is a glimmer of hope in so far as the young people are concerned,” says Shisana.
However MEC of Health in the Western Cape Pierre Uys sees things differently.“I am very pleased that the Western Cape Government and its multiple partners are working closely together in responding to the HIV and Aids epidemic in our province,” says
The Department of Health says at the end of September 2007 they had 31 320 patients on antiretroviral treatment (ARV) at 56 sites across the Western Cape and they are working closely with Non Profit Organisations.
“Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) is offered at 473 health facilities and we anticipate that 320 000 HIV tests will be done in this financial year. There are peer programmes in 131 secondary schools with 13394 peer educators. From April 2007 to March 2008 we are well on target to distribute 60 million male and 600 000 female condoms,” says Uys
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in conjunction with Westonaria Municipality will host World Aids Day commemoration at Westonaria Sports Complex today.
NUM and ICEM President Senzeni Zokwana alongside Gauteng Health MEC for Health Brian Hlongwa will address the audience.
“HIV/AIDS remains the worst enemy to affect millions of mostly impoverished people in the country. Mineworkers remain the most affected group due to the migration system through which workers spend many months away from their loved ones,” according to NUM’s Spokesperson Lesiba Seshoka.
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