Key stakeholders, organisations and residents attended a World Aids Day commemoration at the Atteridgeville community hall recently.
The global theme of World Aids Day this year is “Let Communities Lead”.
The Tshwane metro, Gauteng health department, Wits, Aids Council, Shout it Now, Cogta, Nacosa, Right to Care, Pepfar and residents were in attendance.
ARVs were highlighted as a significant tool to combat the effects of the virus and patients were encouraged to take them. During her keynote address, MMC for Health Rina Marx stressed this point.
“South Africa has one of the largest ARV programmes in the world and we want residents to make sure that they use the services offered,” she said.
“We are moving in the right direction, we just need to pick up the pace and make sure that no one is left behind.”
Marx encouraged attendees to regularly go for treatment and not miss appointments.
“It’s very important that we do this because young people out there must be aware and talk about HIV/Aids and not hide it because they are ashamed,” she said.
She said next year her department wants to grow and bring healthcare to the people instead.
She said from April to October, the metro tested more than 750 000 residents for HIV/Aids and confirmed more than 17 000 positive.
Tshwane health services director Mothomone Pitsi gave various statistics regarding HIV/Aids in the metro and the country during his address.
“Getting people on treatment is a big challenge that we’re faced with,” he said.
“We as the community can lead this fight against HIV/Aids through being more informed. Treatment must be consistent, you can’t just stop whenever you’re feeling better or miss or be late for appointments. It’s a commitment that you must dedicate yourselves to.”
Of the more than four million people in Tshwane, around 220 000 are HIV positive, less than half of whom are on regular therapy, he said.
Some of the key factors driving the increase in new infections include having multiple partners, unsafe sex, noncompliance with treatment plans, and gender-based violence (GBV).
Pitsi said Tshwane was part of various programmes aimed at combatting new infections in informal settlements, universities and TVET colleges, key populations (LGBTQI, sex workers, drug users) and prison population.
Relebohile Ntjona of Shout it Out encouraged the youth to focus on their education before worrying about sex.
The youth (15-24 years old) make up the majority of new infections in the metro and the country, and stakeholders called for more to be done to address this vulnerable group.
“We need more social and behavioural development initiatives that are targeted at the youth to focus on their personal development before worrying about sex,” Ntjona said.
“Sex will always be there, you only get to be young once. Focus your education, your school and your development, and by the time it comes to your life you’ll be ready for it.”
Shout it Out works closely with Wits on “closing the tap” on new infections.
HIV-positive resident T. Qumane talked about the stigmas positive people still face in this day and age.
“Yes, I am positive and so what?” Qumane said.
“I have a life to live, a family to provide for. Even with this HIV, I am so beautiful no matter what.”
Qumane led the attendees in a candle-lighting ceremony, after a moment of silence after which she asked them to use their fingers to put out the flame instead of blowing it out.
She said the burn they felt was similar to what HIV-positive people endured whenever their communities hurl insults at and stigmatise them.
She encouraged attendees to hear the distress calls of their loved ones and not judge them when a positive diagnosis is confirmed.
“Disclose your status and use this medication that people didn’t have in the past and died for you to survive, be healthy and give yourself a chance. By not taking it, dishonours their memory and sacrifice,” she said.
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