speech by executive mayor cllr mogobo david magabe during sti ...

______________________________________________________________________________________SPEECH BY EXECUTIVE MAYOR CLLR MOGOBO DAVIDMAGABE DURING STI/CONDOM WEEKVENUE: SEFATENG VILLAGE, FETAKGOMO LOCALMUNICIPALITYDATE: 25 FEBRUARY 2010______________________________________________________________________________________Programme DirectorMayors of our Local MunicipalitiesSpeakers of Local MunicipalitiesCouncillorsOur Hounourable MakgoshiStaff Members from the Department of HealthStaff Members from MunicipalitiesFriends from the MediaLadies and GentlemenThobela,Today should be a better time to curb the spread of SexuallyTransmitted Infections (STIs) in South Africa than any other dayin history.The democratic South African government of today, which is ledby the African National Congress (ANC), has developed clearstrategies and implemented serious interventions and responsesto curb the spread of STIs.However, with the HIV‐Aids pandemic spreading like veld fire inour communities, we cannot afford to bask in the glory of ourprogressive strategies and interventions.That is clearly because something seems not to be working well.The prevalence of HIV‐Aids is undoubtedly a mirror of theoccurrence of STIs, and vice versa.1 | P a g e S T I / C O N D O M W E E K A W A R E N E S S E V E N T

This awareness event today is one of the most crucial ones ingovernment. In December, the whole country gathered in variousvenues as part of World Aids Day, and before that we had the 16Days of Activism against Women and Children Abuse.The messages of these events are inter‐linked, and one of theissues we cannot avoid is the spread of HIV‐Aids and STIs.And, in all these events, we find that our women and girls are themost vulnerable and the most affected due to the deep‐rootedinstitutional problems that have given our womenfolk an inferiorstatus in our communities and the prevalence of gender‐basedviolence perpetrated against them.Men, therefore, have a bigger role to play to assist us in this fight.Government has been conducting all these events to raiseawareness and drum up the message to our people thatresponsible individual behaviour is at the nexus of stamping outthe spread of HIV‐Aids and other STIs.The responsibility to protect your partner by using a Condom lieswith you. So is the responsibility to avoid Multiple SexualPartners‐ to be Faithful to one partner, and more simply, decide toAbstain.Remember the ABC of HIV and STI prevention – Abstain, BeFaithful and Condomise.More importantly, each one of us must take voluntary HIV testing,so that he or she can do the right thing after knowing his or herstatus.Let me just mention a few salient points that will assist you andyour partner to avoid spreading STIs and HIV:2 | P a g e S T I / C O N D O M W E E K A W A R E N E S S E V E N T

High quality SABS approved condoms and STI treatmentare available free from clinics and other outlets. Governmentcondoms are of excellent quality ‐ and free. Using a condom protects you and your loved one fromSTI's and HIV infection; Untreated STI's put you and your partner at greater risk ofcontracting HIV; Know what the symptoms of STI’s are and notify yourpartner of any such symptoms. Seek treatment together. Most STI's can be cured. Treatment is available at mostpublic health centres and medication is free.The ANC‐led government distributes 400‐million free condoms ayear in the whole country. So, we cannot really complain aboutthe shortage of condoms.The issues of HIV‐Aids and STIs are inseparable; they cannot behandled independent of each other.Hence, our fight against the spread of HIV‐Aids, Tuberculosis (TB)and STIs is all‐inclusive and holistic in its approach.The ANC‐led government has developed the HIV and AidsNational Strategic Plan (NSP). The first NSP was developed for theperiod 2000 to 2005, and now we have adopted the 2007 to 2011NSP, which flows from the previous one but has been improvedupon.This NSP is mapping out the path that the government has tofollow and it has clear goals that we need to achieve.The primary aims of the 2007‐2011 NSP are, among others, to: Reduce the number of new infections by 50 % Reduce the impact of HIV and Aids on individuals, families,communities and society by expanding access to3 | P a g e S T I / C O N D O M W E E K A W A R E N E S S E V E N T

appropriate treatment, care and support to 80% of allpeople diagnosed with HIV Reduce the number of new infections among people in the15‐24 age groupAll these intervention aim to mitigate against the devastatingimpact of HIV‐Aids statistics on which the whole NSP (2007‐2011) development was based.These statistics are really shocking. Think about this: Aids contributes to 50 % of the problem of orphans in SouthAfrica. Aids is a major cause of premature deaths Women in the 25‐29 age group are the worst affected with aprevalence of 40 % Women account for 55% of HIV positive peopleBut, let me emphasize that the ANC‐led government is committedto fighting HIV‐Aids and this is apparently reflected in the recentpolicy announcements by President Jacob Zuma as he wasaddressing the World Aids Day event in Pretoria.These policy announcements to be implemented in April 2010 saythat: All children under one year of age will get treatment if theytest positive. Initiating treatment will therefore not bedetermined by the level of CD cells. This decision willcontribute significantly towards the reduction of infantmortality over time. All patients with both Tuberculosis (TB) and HIV will gettreatment with anti‐retrovirals (ARVs) if their CD4 count is350 or less. At present treatment is available when the CD4count is less than 200. TB and HIV/AIDS will now be treatedunder one roof. This policy change will address early4 | P a g e S T I / C O N D O M W E E K A W A R E N E S S E V E N T

eported deaths arising from undetected TB infection amongthose who are infected with HIV. All pregnant HIV positive women with a CD4 count of 350 orwith symptoms regardless of CD4 count will have access totreatment. At present HIV positive pregnant women areeligible for treatment if their CD4 count is less than 200. All other pregnant women not falling into this category, butwho are HIV positive, will be put on treatment at fourteenweeks of pregnancy to protect the baby. In the past this wasonly started during the last term of pregnancy. In order to meet the need for testing and treatment, we willwork to ensure that all the health institutions in the countryare ready to receive and assist patients and not just a fewaccredited ARV centres. Any citizen should be able to moveinto any health centre and ask for counselling, testing andeven treatment if needed.Here in Sekhukhune District Municipality, we have also shownour commitment towards fighting this scourge by launching theSekhukhune Local Aids Council.This structure is a microcosm of the multi‐stakeholder SouthAfrican National Aids Council (SANAC), which on the governmentside is led by Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe.This means that we, in Sekhukhune, now have a local structure tooversee and advise government on HIV and AIDS matters.The over‐arching objectives of SANAC and therefore theSekhukhune Aids Council are to: Advise government on HIV, AIDS and STIs policy andstrategy, and related matters Create and strengthen partnerships for an expandednational response to HIV and AIDS in South Africa Receive and disseminate reports on all sectoralinterventions to HIV and AIDS and consider challenges5 | P a g e S T I / C O N D O M W E E K A W A R E N E S S E V E N T

Oversee continual monitoring and evaluation of all aspectsof the National Strategic Plan on HIV & AIDS and STI’s (NSP)(2007‐2011).Having said all this, let me in conclusion, advise each one of us togo for voluntary HIV testing.Thereafter go to our health institutions to get assistance. Weknow that people fear being stigmatised and are thereforeunwilling to go for treatment for STIs.Let me assure you that our health practitioners are well‐trainedand ethical individuals who know the importance ofdoctor/patient confidentiality.Secondly, protect your partner by using a Condom. The fightagainst HIV‐Aids begins with you.Let us all declare here and now that: “I am responsible.”I thank you.6 | P a g e S T I / C O N D O M W E E K A W A R E N E S S E V E N T