Date: 06/110/2005
Source: Gauteng Provincial Government
Title: Ramokgopa: Gauteng AIDS Conference
Speech by Gauteng Health MEC, Dr Gwen Ramokgopa, at the opening session of the first Gauteng AIDS Conference
Chairperson
Participants at inaugural Gauteng AIDS Conference
Ladies and gentlemen.
On behalf of our government and the people of Gauteng, I am happy to welcome you to our inaugural provincial AIDS conference.
We are pleased that you are here because we count you as critical component parts of the forces mobilised to engage in the struggle against the HIV and AIDS epidemic confronting our province and our country.
This conference takes place just a few days after two HIV positive South Africans, Paddy Nhlapo and Richard Yell conquered Mount Kilimanjaro. It is also four months since an HIV positive mother. Emmalinah Sindane ran her first Comrades Marathon. We must pay tribute to these sons and daughter of our land because through their action they have demonstrated that we are a country driven by hope, and not despair and resignation to a cruel fate.
The lessons that their actions have given us is that – with willingness, mental and spiritual stamina - the race against HIV and AIDS can also be won and we can summit the mountains that seem to make it difficult to reduce the rate of HIV infection in our community.
Encouraging news have also come from the Africa Economic Summit where a study was presented indicating that South African companies are leading the way in the response against HIV and AIDS with 91% having an HIV and AIDS policy in place. However, there should be no room for complacency because there is evidence that smaller businesses are not yet taking the epidemic seriously. In its 2005 Business Owners Survey, Grant Thorntom found that only 26% of medium sized companies viewed the disease as a serious constraint to business growth over the next five years.
The peoples of our province will therefore be closely interested in the discussions we will have in this conference. They expect that out of this gathering will come a message and actions that will assist them to disperse the menacing and frightening clouds that hang over all of us as a result of the AIDS epidemic.
HIV infection rates have increased again in 2004 for South Africa, Gauteng and all age groups. Analysis suggests that although there is good knowledge about the disease, but this is not matched by change in behaviour. It also suggests that social factors such as poverty, gender inequality play a role in the increase of infections.
Within the comprehensive HIV and AIDS prevention, care, management and treatment strategy, a lot of effort has been put on prevention initiative. But given the increasing infection rates, we have to ask ourselves whether we are doing the right things. Are they working? Is the scale large enough? Can we do better? These are some of the critical questions that this conference will have to clarify.
I hope that conference sessions on health will make us appreciate better the impact that HIV and AIDS has on public health services and the progress we are making in providing health care to people ill with AIDS despite the difficulties. I hope these sessions will also make us realise the ongoing challenge to support health workers who daily take care of people living with HIV and AIDS. Without care our carers cannot care properly for others. It was out of the realisation of this fact, among others, that we introduced an Employee Assistance Programme for Gauteng Government employees last year.
HIV and AIDS are having a devastating effect on young economically active people. Many of the most talented and industrious citizens, who could build a better life and shape the destinies our country, face tragically early death as a result of HIV infection.
It is estimated that half the global HIV infections have been in people under 25 years with 60% of infections of females occurring by the age of 20. Thus the hopes and lives of a generation, the breadwinners, providers and parents of the future, are in jeopardy.
The threat posed by HIV and AIDS to the economic prosperity of our province and the country cannot be underestimated and I believe that we should speak to one another honestly and frankly, with sufficient tolerance to respect everybody's point of view, with sufficient tolerance to allow all voices to be heard.
Through partnership with business, the sharing of expertise we can build joint effectiveness of our response to this threat. The Workplace AIDS Indaba that we held jointly with the South African Business Coalition against HIV and AIDS, Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), National Council of Trade Unions (Nactu) and Federations of Unions of South Africa (Fedusa) has laid a basis for increasing our effectiveness.
The AIDS Indaba and this conference clearly illustrate our partnership in action and emphasises the fact that Together we make a difference. We must recognise that everyone has a contribution to make and that every contribution counts.
On behalf of the Gauteng government, I wish this inaugural Gauteng AIDS Conference success, confident that success by Mr Nhlapo and Yell in summitting Mount Kilimanjaro gives us hope that we will one day conquer this race against HIV and AIDS.
Thank you.
Issued by: Gauteng Provincial Government
6 October 2005
Source: Gauteng Provincial Government
Title: Ramokgopa: Gauteng AIDS Conference
Speech by Gauteng Health MEC, Dr Gwen Ramokgopa, at the opening session of the first Gauteng AIDS Conference
Chairperson
Participants at inaugural Gauteng AIDS Conference
Ladies and gentlemen.
On behalf of our government and the people of Gauteng, I am happy to welcome you to our inaugural provincial AIDS conference.
We are pleased that you are here because we count you as critical component parts of the forces mobilised to engage in the struggle against the HIV and AIDS epidemic confronting our province and our country.
This conference takes place just a few days after two HIV positive South Africans, Paddy Nhlapo and Richard Yell conquered Mount Kilimanjaro. It is also four months since an HIV positive mother. Emmalinah Sindane ran her first Comrades Marathon. We must pay tribute to these sons and daughter of our land because through their action they have demonstrated that we are a country driven by hope, and not despair and resignation to a cruel fate.
The lessons that their actions have given us is that – with willingness, mental and spiritual stamina - the race against HIV and AIDS can also be won and we can summit the mountains that seem to make it difficult to reduce the rate of HIV infection in our community.
Encouraging news have also come from the Africa Economic Summit where a study was presented indicating that South African companies are leading the way in the response against HIV and AIDS with 91% having an HIV and AIDS policy in place. However, there should be no room for complacency because there is evidence that smaller businesses are not yet taking the epidemic seriously. In its 2005 Business Owners Survey, Grant Thorntom found that only 26% of medium sized companies viewed the disease as a serious constraint to business growth over the next five years.
The peoples of our province will therefore be closely interested in the discussions we will have in this conference. They expect that out of this gathering will come a message and actions that will assist them to disperse the menacing and frightening clouds that hang over all of us as a result of the AIDS epidemic.
HIV infection rates have increased again in 2004 for South Africa, Gauteng and all age groups. Analysis suggests that although there is good knowledge about the disease, but this is not matched by change in behaviour. It also suggests that social factors such as poverty, gender inequality play a role in the increase of infections.
Within the comprehensive HIV and AIDS prevention, care, management and treatment strategy, a lot of effort has been put on prevention initiative. But given the increasing infection rates, we have to ask ourselves whether we are doing the right things. Are they working? Is the scale large enough? Can we do better? These are some of the critical questions that this conference will have to clarify.
I hope that conference sessions on health will make us appreciate better the impact that HIV and AIDS has on public health services and the progress we are making in providing health care to people ill with AIDS despite the difficulties. I hope these sessions will also make us realise the ongoing challenge to support health workers who daily take care of people living with HIV and AIDS. Without care our carers cannot care properly for others. It was out of the realisation of this fact, among others, that we introduced an Employee Assistance Programme for Gauteng Government employees last year.
HIV and AIDS are having a devastating effect on young economically active people. Many of the most talented and industrious citizens, who could build a better life and shape the destinies our country, face tragically early death as a result of HIV infection.
It is estimated that half the global HIV infections have been in people under 25 years with 60% of infections of females occurring by the age of 20. Thus the hopes and lives of a generation, the breadwinners, providers and parents of the future, are in jeopardy.
The threat posed by HIV and AIDS to the economic prosperity of our province and the country cannot be underestimated and I believe that we should speak to one another honestly and frankly, with sufficient tolerance to respect everybody's point of view, with sufficient tolerance to allow all voices to be heard.
Through partnership with business, the sharing of expertise we can build joint effectiveness of our response to this threat. The Workplace AIDS Indaba that we held jointly with the South African Business Coalition against HIV and AIDS, Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), National Council of Trade Unions (Nactu) and Federations of Unions of South Africa (Fedusa) has laid a basis for increasing our effectiveness.
The AIDS Indaba and this conference clearly illustrate our partnership in action and emphasises the fact that Together we make a difference. We must recognise that everyone has a contribution to make and that every contribution counts.
On behalf of the Gauteng government, I wish this inaugural Gauteng AIDS Conference success, confident that success by Mr Nhlapo and Yell in summitting Mount Kilimanjaro gives us hope that we will one day conquer this race against HIV and AIDS.
Thank you.
Issued by: Gauteng Provincial Government
6 October 2005
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