25-11-2014: City of Joburg commemorates World AIDS Day
World AIDS Day is observed internationally annually on the 1st December, as part of its commemorations, the City of Johannesburg together with the Gauteng Department of Health and other partners will embark on a number of activities as a build-up to the main event taking place on Sunday, 30 November 2014 at Walter Sisulu Square in Soweto.
The Johannesburg AIDS Council chaired by the Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg, Councillor Parks Tau, which includes representatives from government, civil society, labour and business will be conducting a citywide HIV and AIDS Awareness Campaign under the theme, “Zero Stigma and Discrimination” to show their support for people living with HIV.
“The campaign seeks to showcase that the City of Joburg is working towards attaining the goals of the Johannesburg Strategic Plan on HIV, STIs and TB. The aim is to address social and structural barriers that increase vulnerability to HIV, STI and TB infections, preventing new HIV, STI and TB infections, sustaining health and wellness and increasing the protection of human rights”, says Clr Nonceba Molwele, the Member of the Mayoral Committee for Health and Social Development in Johannesburg.
“The activities are based on survey results released by HSRC, “South African National HIV Prevalence, Incidence and Behaviour Survey, 2012” which revealed that South Africa has made considerable progress in “turning the tide of HIV incidence”. However, the battle against HIV and AIDS has not yet been won, and unless there is a continued effort to address the complex medical, social, economic, and human rights issues, the gains of the last decade could be reversed”, says Molwele.
This survey produced prevalence data at municipal level and showed that, as with provinces, there are variations in HIV prevalence in the metropolitan areas. The highest prevalence rates were recorded in eThekwini (14.5%) in KwaZulu-Natal and Ekurhuleni (14.3%) in Gauteng, followed closely by Buffalo City (13.6), in the Eastern Cape. The City of Tshwane (11.7) and the City of Johannesburg (11.1%) recorded HIV prevalence slightly lower than the National average of 12.2%1.
The City of Johannesburg’s HIV and AIDS awareness programme include the following events:
Tjovitjo Sport Campaign on Thursday, 27 November 2014 will target school going youth through sport, arts & culture and will take place at the Chris Hani Sports complex in Orange Farm. Youths will be engaged through an event that will provide them with a platform to express their feelings and provide solutions for their challenges. The event will be a mixture of sport (5-a-side soccer, netball, basketball, volleyball) and arts (theatre, poetry and music) interspersed with dialogue and messages.
On Saturday, 29 November 2014, Man 2 Man Dialogue will take place at the Sandton City Mall (Sandton Library) and Sandton taxi rank. It’s an exhibition of messages, dialogues and engagement with men, on a one to one basis. This is critical because it affords men an opportunity to change and be part of the solution rather than perpetuators of challenges associated with the the spread of HIV.
The Gauteng Provincial World AIDS Day event will be held at Walter Sisulu Square, Kliptown in Soweto on Sunday, 30 November 2014. The event is part of the P.A.S.O.P media campaign that was launched by Gauteng Department of Health and the key message is:
P= Prevent new infections
A= Avoid getting re-infected
S = Stop the spread of HIV, AIDS and TB
O = Overcome stigma and discrimination
P = Protect yourself
The City of Johannesburg will also host an employee’s engagement to commemorate the World AIDS Day on Friday, 05 December 2015 where all the City’s employees will be invited to a dialogue session to be facilitated by Dr Tiny Mhinga at Metro Centre in Braamfontein.
“The education campaign highlights the importance of testing for HIV by everybody as part of a healthy lifestyle and increase the level of HIV and AIDS awareness and understanding in the community. It also focuses on social issues fuelling the HIV epidemic: poverty, gender imbalances, substance abuse, and sexual abuse. HIV testing and counselling, screening for TB, Hypertension, Diabetes, Cancer screening as well as Male Medical Circumcision services will be offered at all the events”, emphasises Molwele.
The City of Johannesburg urges all the community members to participate in the campaign by supporting and allowing identifiable volunteers into their homes. All sectors (Non-Governmental Organisation, Faith Based Organisation & Community Based Organisation) are also urged to intensify the dissemination of information during the campaign week promoting care and support for people infected and affected by HIV and AIDS.
For more information please contact:
Nkosinathi Nkabinde
Communication Specialist
City of Johannesburg Group Communication & Tourism Department
Tel: (011) 407 - 6477
Cell: 083 408 7787
E-mail: nkosinathin@joburg.org.za
