Can a South African public-private partnership have a positive impact on the health of those who need it most?
For Rotary Family Health Days, the answer is a definite yes – and the good news is that you can get involved and make a meaningful difference.
The fifth annual Rotary Family Health Days event will take place from October 3 to 5 and this year the aim is to bring free health services to a record 100,000 people.
A project started and managed by Rotarians for Family Health and Aids Prevention (RFHA) in partnership with the National Department of Health and Rotary clubs in South Africa, Rotary Family Health Days is also supported by Gilead Sciences, PEPFAR, Caxton, the SABC Foundation, Alere and numerous support media houses.
Joining this partnership in 2017 are Gift of the Givers Foundation and the University of Johannesburg.
Rotary Family Health Days offers free health services and vital screenings to deprived communities. These include HIV counseling and testing; screening for TB, diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol, and Vitamin A supplementation and immunisations.
A particular focus of the National Department of Health in 2017 is the She Conquers initiative, so reaching girls and young women is a priority this year.
Some 2 500 young women and girls between 12 and 24 are infected with HIV each week in South Africa.
When the programme started in 2011, 38,000 people were treated in two countries.
In 2016, just under half a million people received free health care at Rotary Family Health Days in Ghana, India, Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda.
The ambition is to see these numbers grow significantly in years to come.
None of this can happen without all the partners who donate their services and, importantly, the help of volunteers who give up their time to make a difference. Rotary Family Health Days needs help at each of the planned 120 sites across the country.
If you would like to contribute to this event, which has an impressive track record, go to rfhdsouthafrica.org or contact your nearest Rotary club.
For more information, visit www.rfhdsouthafrica.org or find your nearest site by calling the NDOH helpline on 0800 012 322.
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