Score4Life gives power to the men
ALEXANDRA - HIV testing will be conducted in a semi-permanent pop-up facility in the Alex Plaza Shopping Centre from 1 July to 30 September.
The Johannesburg-based Anova Health Institute is calling on all men living in or visiting Alexandra to participate in the Score4Life campaign where every individual will be tested for HIV/Aids and made aware of their HIV status.
Score4Life will offer free, safe and confidential HIV testing in a semi-permanent pop-up facility in the Alex Plaza Shopping Centre from 1 July to 30 September.
Knowing their HIV status empowers men to make the right choices to prolong their lives, yet as much as 60 percent of South African men do not know their status.
This puts men at risk of serious illness and untimely death, which are entirely preventable with the right treatment and interventions.
Whether the results of the HIV test are positive or negative, the Score4Life campaign provides and encourages open, ongoing dialogue between the Anova Health Institute and the men who have been tested.
“Our Score4Life campaign gives men a chance to learn their status in a safe and confidential environment. Testing is, however, just the first step in the HIV prevention and treatment process,” said Dr Diana Mokoena of Anova Health Institute.
“In order to keep the channels of communication open and to provide linkages to localised services and care, participants will be issued with airtime in order to give them the means to access these services, regardless of their status.”
In order to participate in Score4Life, men need to be 21 years or older, have a cellphone with an active number and a valid proof of identity. These can include a birth certificate, a South African ID document, a driver’s licence or a passport (of any nationality).
The Score4Life pop-up facility will be located in shop 26 in the Alex Plaza Shopping Centre. It will be open seven days a week from 1 July until 30 September, from 7am to 8pm from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm on Saturdays, and Sundays from 10am to 4pm. The testing and counselling is done in private and takes about 20 minutes.
“Knowledge is power,” said Mokoena.
“When you know your status you Score4Life.”
The campaign is funded by the US President’s Emergency Fund for Aids Relief through the United States Agency for International Development.
The institute is a facility which supports the public healthcare system through technical assistance, providing capacity building, clinical expertise and facilitating technology expansion. It is dedicated to improving public health with its main focus on HIV.
Details: Carlin 011 447 0427; Carlin@dotgood.co.za
