It is important to know your status
The Health Department provided “Checka Impilo” services including HIV Testing Services (HTS), blood pressure, TB, diabetes, and Covid-19 screening at selected venues.
On November 24, the City of Johannesburg held a virtual discussion focusing on people living with HIV as part of the City’s Department of Health’s build-up to World Aids Day, which is commemorated on December 1 annually worldwide.
MMC for Health and Social Development councillor Eunice Mgcina addressed the virtual discussion which aimed at reaching out to those residents at high risk of acquiring HIV with prevention messages and strategies and to reflect on the country’s progress, successes, gaps and challenges in response to HIV and Aids.
The theme for this year’s World Aids Day is: “We are in this together: Cheka Impilo”. This is an earnest call to all South Africans to make responsible health choices.
“Knowing one’s HIV status will assist in the management of the disease if one is HIV positive. A person can get treatment and live a long and healthy life. Also, if one is HIV positive, one should take care not to transmit the virus to others, by adhering to their medication in order to stay virally suppressed,” explained Mgcina.
She added that the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic created serious challenges for governments globally and that restricted movements, negatively impacting on the provision of and access to HIV and TB testing and treatment services. Covid-19 also caused a decrease in numbers of persons seeking health care at clinics.
Furthermore, she said that key populations who are particularly vulnerable to HIV such as men who have sex with men, sex workers, transgender people, people who inject drugs, the LGBTQI+ community, persons living with HIV and the youth lacked adequate access to services as venues became inaccessible as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown regulations.
This has led to the City’s Health Department’s decision to host a series of webinars to engage with the community in order to develop a greater understanding of barriers to accessing health services, stigma, how it can improve its services to key and vulnerable populations. It will also use the opportunity to share information about health services and wellness.
The Health Department provided “Checka Impilo” services including HIV Testing Services (HTS), blood pressure, TB, diabetes and Covid-19 screening at selected venues.
