Hospice celebrates Aids Day

Soweto Hospice celebrated international Aids Day on Monday.

The event was attended by NGO’s, churches, support groups and people infected and affected by HIV/Aids.

The topic that all the speakers empathised was that there is life after HIV.

Gloria Malindi, a nurse, said that people must not stop educating each other about HIV.

“We must not get weary about talking of the disease because it does not stop. We should share information so that people can prevent themselves from getting HIV,” she said.

Alina Hlongwane, who has been HIV positive for 13 years, said that people infected should take medication.

“The medication is expensive and the government has tried ita best to see we get it for free. We have free facilities as a community that we can use to test and to take care of ourselves afterwards,” she said

Malindi said that the community has changed the way it views people who are positive.

“At the time that I got tested, women used to be called nasty names when they were positive. Times have changed and there is no need for people to be ashamed of getting tested,” she said.

Malindi said that everyone should get tested.

“The elders need to be tested, there are old women who took care of their HIV positive children without gloves and they need to get tested to know their status,” she said.

Malindi said “people should start living a healthy life, even if they are HIV negative and get tested at every chance they get.”