PHIRING – Home-based caregivers, officials from the Department of Health, Greater Tubatse Municipality (GTM), social workers, traditional healers and HIV/Aids ambassadors commemorated World’s Aids Day on December 4 at the Sterkspruit Clinic.
It hosted an awareness campaign aimed at combating the pandemic. The attendees, who donned red and white outfits and red ribbons, learnt about the importance of knowing their status as well as signs and symptoms of tuberculosis.
They also rallied around the village distributing condoms to the public. Ms Athalia Makhubedu, an HIV/Aids ambassador who has been living with the virus for the past 12 years, taught the attendees how to live positively with the virus.
She encouraged members of the public to be tested, take their medication properly and protect themselves each time they engage in sexual activities. She also advised them to exercise and maintain a balanced diet. “It starts with one knowing his/her own status before planning for a pregnancy, and we still encourage the youth to abstain from sex,” she said.
Another ambassador, Ms Sizi Mnisi, shared Makhubedu’s sentiments and urged couples to use condoms at all times to prevent unwanted pregnancy and the spread of sexually transmitted infections.
“When I found out I was infected eight years ago, my CD4 count was 500 but it is now is 1 122 – this shows that people can effectively live with the virus. At this juncture, I have not started taking treatment.”
Candles were also lit in memory of those who had passed away and those who were struggling with the disease.
