Mo-Afrika Ithlokokomele in partnership with the Department of Health operates the linkage system that initiates lifesaving antiretroviral therapy, facilitates the delivery of important prevention message for the reduction of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) transmission by assisting people living with HIV to engage in medical care.
Hence it is important for people diagnosed with HIV to live a long and healthy lifestyle and linkage officers refer HIV positive patients to the nearest local clinics for treatment.
“It is a very convenient way for people diagnosed with HIV to get immediate help and treatment in clinics through referring them, we link people to care, we also do home visits and offer counselling sessions,” said Thato Malapane, the linkage officer.
People living with HIV are given advice on living a healthy lifestyle by doing the following:
- Eating well- HIV positive people need a balanced diet when taking treatment and they are advised on replacing junk with food that contains protein, carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables, that includes them being alerted about the dangers of skipping the ARV treatment.
- Exercising- it improves blood circulation, increases energy levels, helps maintain a healthy body weight.
- Sleeping- People living with the disease may have trouble sleeping and get depressed, thus it affects the body’s ability to fight infection.
- Practice safe sex- informing their new partners about their status before engaging in sexual intercourse because if they do not inform them, they might expose them to HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.
“My main objectives or day to day tasks are ensuring that clients are linked into care effectively, follow up on HIV positive clients as to strategies a convenient way to link them, do HIV test at the site, and capture everyone tested positive into the system so that the department can provide enough treatment for everyone who needs it, offer counselling and also educate people more about the HIV,” said Malapane.
The Mo-Afrika organisation is geared at reducing the spread of HIV/Aids in our communities. The benefits of the linkage system include immediate linkage to care, making sure that people living with HIV adhere to medication, to reduce the HIV/Aids stigma, as people living with the disease are discriminated.
Linking people to relevant professionals such as social workers, providing underage patients with medication during home visits and free Sexual Transmitted Infections (STI) and Tuberculosis (TB) screening is provided.
Malapane further stated that not only do they focus on referring clients to clinics but they also give primary health, psychological and social help.
He also stated that linkage officers make sure that clients are initiated and they also adhere to treatment whilst providing other relevant psycho-social help.
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