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The MEC for Health and Social Development, Dr Phophi Ramathuba.

Vhembe does well in fighting HIV/AIDS

 

The Vhembe District Municipality is doing well in fighting the spread of the HIV/Aids infection, said the MEC for Health and Social Development, Dr Phophi Ramathuba.

In an interview with Limpopo Mirror on the status of HIV/Aids in the district as part of World Aids Day, Ramathuba revealed that Vhembe has 15% of people living with HIV/Aids in the province. Waterberg is leading with 27.3%, followed by Mopani with 24.6%, Capricorn with 21.1%, and Sekhukhune occupying fourth position with 18.1%. “Our province is standing at a 20.3% infection rate in the country," she said.

Ramathuba also revealed that men delay health-seeking behaviour and they do not go for testing. “The key population and vulnerable groups are among others: men having sex with men, sex workers and their clients, ‘blessers’, migrants, miners and farm workers.”

She added that strategies had also been created to make sure that clients collected treatment at convenient places and times in order to reduce clients' costs, such as transport and time. This also helped to reduce waiting times at hospitals.

According to her, anti-retroviral therapy is also offered at all health facilities and some non-governmental organizations. Currently, there are more than 500 facilities offering ART in the province, including private ones.

Ramathuba said routine HIV Testing Services (HTS), TB screening and screening for other chronic conditions in health facilities were used for prevention. She said that while conducting HIV testing campaigns in communities, services were integrated because TB and other chronic diseases were also screened for. From Monday to Friday, HTS services integrated with sexual reproductive health (family planning and cervical cancer screening) where testing targets were achieved in all districts.

Both female and male condoms are distributed in all districts. “Recently we introduced flavoured condoms to encourage the youth,” says Ramathuba.

Sex workers and men sleeping with men are also educated on how they can protect themselves from getting infected and how to prevent spread of HIV if one is HIV positive.

The department also offers comprehensive PEP (post exposure prophylaxis) to sexual-assault survivors to prevent HIV in case the perpetrator is HIV positive. This service is implemented in an integrated manner where the morning-after pill is offered, counselling is provided to the survivor and partner or parents, together with family members. If a client is prepared to do so, a termination of pregnancy is performed in cases where the morning-after pill fails.

Male victims such as men who were raped or boys who were sodomised are also encouraged to report to the police or to relevant health facilities.

Ramathuba stressed that condoms should be used correctly and consistently when one is circumcised by those who cannot be faithful to their partners.

 

Date:10 December 2016

By: Ndivhuwo Musetha

Read: 807

 

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