Date: 21/11/2003
Source: Western Cape Provincial Government
Title: Meyer: Opening of Mothers-to-Mothers-to-Be mentoring programme, W Cape
ADDRESS BY WESTERN CAPE MINISTER OF HEALTH, MR PIET MEYER, AT THE OPENING OF THE M2M2B PROGRAMME AT MICHAEL MAPONGWUANA, Khayelitsha, Friday, 21 November 2003
Today we celebrate the official opening of the Mothers-to-Mothers-to-Be (M2M2B) mentoring programme of the Michael Mapongwuana Maternity Clinic. It is a wonderful occasion as it adds another powerful link in the support chain of pregnant women in the Western Cape.
Like M2M2B at other hospitals and clinics, this programme addresses the needs of pregnant women and mothers living with HIV. It recognises that these special women need support and education. It also recognises that the best people to provide these services are fellow mothers living with the HI virus. By helping and training HIV positive mothers to act as mentors for pregnant women recently diagnosed with the HI virus both mothers and mothers-to-be are empowered to cope with the very hard and difficult realities of their lives.
Based on this simple, yet highly effective concept, M2M2B has contributed to the success of the Western Cape Province's health programmes to prevent the transmission of HIV from mother to child.
M2M2B can only operate in an environment where voluntary HIV testing of pregnant women and some form of counselling exist, and also where medication for the prevention of mother to child transmission is readily available. The fact that 11 out of the 13 M2M2B programmes operating at present are situated at clinics and hospitals in the Western Cape bears testimony to the fact that our province has been at the forefront in developing programmes to identify HIV pregnant women and to prevent Mother To Child Transmission (MTCT). (There is also a clinic in Mpumalanga and one in the Northern Cape.)
Right now, testing is available to every single pregnant woman making use of the public health services of the province. And if they are HIV positive they are able to receive counselling and treatment to protect their babies from getting this terrible infection.
In the next six months the Western Cape will be rolling out the most ambitious programme to prevent HIV transmission to babies in Africa, when pregnant women will receive two drugs that will effectively reduce transmission to 5%, so that only one in 20 of babies born to HIV infected mothers will catch this virus.
The M2M2B programme run here at Michael Mapongwuana and elsewhere can make these new treatments work. Through the efforts of mothers who have taken the treatment and have come to understand the difficult decisions, having lived with the painful experiences themselves, this programme will be integral in making the treatment programme a success.
M2M2B recognises the importance of support groups; of people sharing the same experiences. The focus is on women. Through them treatment results will improve and the number of babies getting the infection reduced. Pregnant women are helped to make difficult decisions. Firstly to understand treatment procedures and then to disclose their HIV status to their family. This all helps with the destigmatisation of HIV and AIDS that is so important if future treatment programmes are to be successful.
M2M2B is also providing economic opportunities to mothers and mothers-to-be; in short it brings hope in the form of four Es - emotional support, education, economic opportunity and empowerment.
It takes a man to say it, but there can be no doubt that women are our country's greatest resource. It is mothers who are responsible for taking care and keeping families intact, and M2M2B brings true empowerment to HIV positive women because it provides them with an opportunity to be strong, to take control of their lives and to be proud of living positively.
M2M2B was the brain child, the vision, of one man, Dr Mitchell Besser, who - two years ago - while working as an obstetrician at Groote Schuur, became intensely aware of the needs for counselling and support for pregnant women who had just received the news that they were HIV positive.
That led to the first M2M2B programme to be rolled out at Groote Schuur. Since then the number of sites where M22M2B programmes are successfully running has grown to 13. This tremendous progress could only take place because of the effective co-operation between the private sector, the public sector and service organisations such as Rotary. In this way problems are identified, solutions proposed and implemented.
The opening of the site here today is largely as a result of the Waterfront Rotary Club. The 45 members of that club set as their goal to source and generate the funds for the establishment of a M2M2B programme at Michael Mapongwuana. Through their efforts donors came forward who are now supporting this programme. We honour and salute these donors: I am referring to:
* First Rand Foundation
* Bergflora company of Mr Willem Verhoogt
* Dutch Consulate General in Cape Town
* Rotary Club of Glastonbury in New York State
* Waterfront Rotary Club.
The Waterfront Rotary Club has undertaken to continue supporting this site and will continue generating funds for the future existence of the programme here. They are an example of what service organisations can do to help government in a task it just cannot do alone. It is clear that M2M2B has a way to go before it will be educating and empowering all mothers and pregnant women across the country. However, right here in the Western Cape the most urgent need for another M2M2B site is in Guguletu, which has the highest HIV rate in the whole of the province. It is the only significant metropolitan settlement in the Cape Town area that does not have a M2M2B programme at all. (M2M2B already offers services at five clinics in Khayelitsha, one in Langa-Bonteheuwel, two in Paarl and one each at Mowbray Maternity Hospital, New Somerset Hospital and Groote Schuur Hospital.)
I am convinced that there is another donor or service organisation out there that will pick up the challenge of establishing an M2M2B clinic at Guguletu. It is a community service without rival. It will bring great satisfaction and prove to be true "Medicine for the Soul".
And this brings me back to the beginning and Dr Mitchell Besser. Not only has he launched this powerful community service project, he has also created more than 100 jobs for women - women who have been through the whole process themselves and are now staffing clinics to help others. I pay tribute to him and to the people who believed in him and walked the talk in their personal support.
Thank you Dr Besser, thank you Rotary, thank you sponsors, and thank you to all the involved mothers.
Enquiries: Joe-Nell Heidmann
Tel: +27(021) 483 5417
Fax: +27(021) 483 4143
E-mail: jheidman@pawc.wcape.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Health, Western Cape Provincial Government
21 November 2003
Source: Western Cape Provincial Government
Title: Meyer: Opening of Mothers-to-Mothers-to-Be mentoring programme, W Cape
ADDRESS BY WESTERN CAPE MINISTER OF HEALTH, MR PIET MEYER, AT THE OPENING OF THE M2M2B PROGRAMME AT MICHAEL MAPONGWUANA, Khayelitsha, Friday, 21 November 2003
Today we celebrate the official opening of the Mothers-to-Mothers-to-Be (M2M2B) mentoring programme of the Michael Mapongwuana Maternity Clinic. It is a wonderful occasion as it adds another powerful link in the support chain of pregnant women in the Western Cape.
Like M2M2B at other hospitals and clinics, this programme addresses the needs of pregnant women and mothers living with HIV. It recognises that these special women need support and education. It also recognises that the best people to provide these services are fellow mothers living with the HI virus. By helping and training HIV positive mothers to act as mentors for pregnant women recently diagnosed with the HI virus both mothers and mothers-to-be are empowered to cope with the very hard and difficult realities of their lives.
Based on this simple, yet highly effective concept, M2M2B has contributed to the success of the Western Cape Province's health programmes to prevent the transmission of HIV from mother to child.
M2M2B can only operate in an environment where voluntary HIV testing of pregnant women and some form of counselling exist, and also where medication for the prevention of mother to child transmission is readily available. The fact that 11 out of the 13 M2M2B programmes operating at present are situated at clinics and hospitals in the Western Cape bears testimony to the fact that our province has been at the forefront in developing programmes to identify HIV pregnant women and to prevent Mother To Child Transmission (MTCT). (There is also a clinic in Mpumalanga and one in the Northern Cape.)
Right now, testing is available to every single pregnant woman making use of the public health services of the province. And if they are HIV positive they are able to receive counselling and treatment to protect their babies from getting this terrible infection.
In the next six months the Western Cape will be rolling out the most ambitious programme to prevent HIV transmission to babies in Africa, when pregnant women will receive two drugs that will effectively reduce transmission to 5%, so that only one in 20 of babies born to HIV infected mothers will catch this virus.
The M2M2B programme run here at Michael Mapongwuana and elsewhere can make these new treatments work. Through the efforts of mothers who have taken the treatment and have come to understand the difficult decisions, having lived with the painful experiences themselves, this programme will be integral in making the treatment programme a success.
M2M2B recognises the importance of support groups; of people sharing the same experiences. The focus is on women. Through them treatment results will improve and the number of babies getting the infection reduced. Pregnant women are helped to make difficult decisions. Firstly to understand treatment procedures and then to disclose their HIV status to their family. This all helps with the destigmatisation of HIV and AIDS that is so important if future treatment programmes are to be successful.
M2M2B is also providing economic opportunities to mothers and mothers-to-be; in short it brings hope in the form of four Es - emotional support, education, economic opportunity and empowerment.
It takes a man to say it, but there can be no doubt that women are our country's greatest resource. It is mothers who are responsible for taking care and keeping families intact, and M2M2B brings true empowerment to HIV positive women because it provides them with an opportunity to be strong, to take control of their lives and to be proud of living positively.
M2M2B was the brain child, the vision, of one man, Dr Mitchell Besser, who - two years ago - while working as an obstetrician at Groote Schuur, became intensely aware of the needs for counselling and support for pregnant women who had just received the news that they were HIV positive.
That led to the first M2M2B programme to be rolled out at Groote Schuur. Since then the number of sites where M22M2B programmes are successfully running has grown to 13. This tremendous progress could only take place because of the effective co-operation between the private sector, the public sector and service organisations such as Rotary. In this way problems are identified, solutions proposed and implemented.
The opening of the site here today is largely as a result of the Waterfront Rotary Club. The 45 members of that club set as their goal to source and generate the funds for the establishment of a M2M2B programme at Michael Mapongwuana. Through their efforts donors came forward who are now supporting this programme. We honour and salute these donors: I am referring to:
* First Rand Foundation
* Bergflora company of Mr Willem Verhoogt
* Dutch Consulate General in Cape Town
* Rotary Club of Glastonbury in New York State
* Waterfront Rotary Club.
The Waterfront Rotary Club has undertaken to continue supporting this site and will continue generating funds for the future existence of the programme here. They are an example of what service organisations can do to help government in a task it just cannot do alone. It is clear that M2M2B has a way to go before it will be educating and empowering all mothers and pregnant women across the country. However, right here in the Western Cape the most urgent need for another M2M2B site is in Guguletu, which has the highest HIV rate in the whole of the province. It is the only significant metropolitan settlement in the Cape Town area that does not have a M2M2B programme at all. (M2M2B already offers services at five clinics in Khayelitsha, one in Langa-Bonteheuwel, two in Paarl and one each at Mowbray Maternity Hospital, New Somerset Hospital and Groote Schuur Hospital.)
I am convinced that there is another donor or service organisation out there that will pick up the challenge of establishing an M2M2B clinic at Guguletu. It is a community service without rival. It will bring great satisfaction and prove to be true "Medicine for the Soul".
And this brings me back to the beginning and Dr Mitchell Besser. Not only has he launched this powerful community service project, he has also created more than 100 jobs for women - women who have been through the whole process themselves and are now staffing clinics to help others. I pay tribute to him and to the people who believed in him and walked the talk in their personal support.
Thank you Dr Besser, thank you Rotary, thank you sponsors, and thank you to all the involved mothers.
Enquiries: Joe-Nell Heidmann
Tel: +27(021) 483 5417
Fax: +27(021) 483 4143
E-mail: jheidman@pawc.wcape.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Health, Western Cape Provincial Government
21 November 2003
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