Methodist Wattville Outreach, from Benoni, is one of the 40 community-based organisations from all provinces who were recipients of the HIV/Aids Community Grants, a programme of the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (US PEPFAR).
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These organisations, which provide a range of services including HIV testing and counselling, HIV prevention services, and care and support for people living with HIV, were recently honoured at a ceremony in Johannesburg.
Community organisations are essential to South Africa’s continued HIV response because they understand their communities best, and they are often a person’s first point of entry into HIV care and treatment.
US PEPFAR, through the HIV/Aids Community Grants programme, recognises the critical role that community-based organisations must play in its shared efforts with the South African government, NGOs and civil society to control the HIV epidemic.
American people, through US PEPFAR, are committed to ensuring South Africans have the opportunity to live longer, happier and more productive lives, and to preventing new HIV infections.
Rue Rushwaya, PEPFAR communications manager, said, “We’re proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with South Africa in the HIV response. US PEPFAR has partnered with the South African government to support HIV prevention and treatment since 2004, and invested more than over R80-billion in HIV programmes in South Africa.”