Date: 07/02/05
Source: Free State Provincial Government
Title: Belot: Sexually Transmitted Infection

Speech by the MEC of Health, Mr ST Belot, on the occasion of the Sexually Transmitted Infections

7 February 2005


Hon Members of Portfolio Committee for Health Hon Mayor of Nala Councillors Members of the community

It is a pleasure for me to be joining you in this important occasion of the provincial celebration of the Sexually Transmitted Infection under the Theme “Your Sexual Health – Your Responsibility”. The department of health celebrate this event every second week of February, this is a program to encourage our people to have a very responsible sexual behaviour and practice safe sex. As a department we are encouraging the people of the Free State province to take necessary precautions, to make sure that when the signs and symptoms of Sexually Transmitted Infections are recognised, they are immediately reported so that they can be given treatment as early as possible.

I want to encourage our people to have an effective management of the syndrome associated with sexual transmitted infections and play an important role in our communities to discourage reckless sexual behaviour amongst young people in particular. Our major focus for this year is to target the youth and men. My department is always ready to handle the STI problems and to give necessary support to our communities. As a result we have 70.8% of our professional Nurses in the primary health care, out of 940, 565 have been given training. Our staff members continue to receive training.

During the Youth Celebration last year, we launched the choice condom, and the department continues to distribute condoms to keep the momentum of the launching of Choice Condom, as part of our campaign we need to give more resources and promotional material to our district as they are closer to the people.

Ladies and Gentlemen: this year is a year of the celebration of the Freedom Charter, as we should know this is framework document which outlines policy objectives of the government of South Africa. One of its clauses guarantee our people that “there shall be houses, security and comfort” which if we do not take serious the question of STI and we do not adhere to our theme of the day “Your Sexual Health – Your Responsibility” we will be defeating the good intentions that our government want to pursue.

The department is intending to conclude training of all professional nurses working in Primary Health Facilities within the province and continue the STI surveillance as planned. One of the critical aspects is the implementation of the new STI protocol regime, which will be released this year.

Let us all take full responsibility for our lives and take care of other people, in order to keep the people of the Free State Healthy and self reliant, we can all live with pride and lead with dignity.

I thank you.
Issued by: Department of Health, Free State
Provincial Government
7 February 2005