The start of something good
Health minister Aaron Motsoaledi told parliament on 23 July that government plans to get the entire population tested for HIV and hopes to extend antiretroviral treatment to all those who test positive.
He said that 6.4 million people in South Africa were HIV positive and while we have the largest seropositive population in the world, we also have the largest programme to treat them. His hope is that by 2030 government will be able to eradicate the virus.
He plans to have free testing at schools, community centres, churches, universities and places of work.
I for one am very excited about Motsoaledi’s announcement and while I agree South Africa has come along way in the past five years – I still have memories of sweet potatoes and the infamous ‘HIV does not cause Aids’ statement. Oh yes, we have come a long way since past president Thabo Mbeki and the late health minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang.
I am thrilled to have a health minister who, for now, is talking the talk – lets hope he can walk the walk.
While our government seems to be getting proactive in the fight against HIV and Aids, I fear many ordinary South Africans are not helping their own cause. I was reading a HIV blog the other day and was frightened by the comments. Online users were discussing HIV and antiretroviral tablets and how some women hid their tablets from their lovers who believed their partners were HIV negative.
The blog was almost a ‘how to hide your HIV status from your lover’ guide. Ladies and gentlemen – while HIV is a virus you can live with, it should not be your goal to try spread the love. Yes, sexual relationships are still a possibility when one is HIV positive, but being reckless about your status is going to undo all the good work government is planning.
I have a friend who made a mistake and thought he might have come in contact with someone who was HIV positive. Instead of getting tested, this individual lived in denial for weeks. While I do not want to take away form the fact that getting tested is a scary thing, surely it is better to know, than to live a reckless life and possibly place someone else at risk as well.
I congratulate Motsoaledi and the government and hope that with their plan, they will be able to change a few peoples’ mindsets and the general attitude towards HIV positive status.
