Date: 04/10/2003
Source: Meropa Communications
Title: Tshabalala-Msimang: 5th Anniversary of the Partnership Against AIDS
SPEECH BY THE MINISTER OF HEALTH, DR ME TSHABALALA-MSIMANG, AT THE 5th ANNIVERSARY OF THE PARTNERSHIP AGAINST AIDS, Phalaborwa, 4 October 2003
Honourable Deputy President
Premier of Limpopo
Distinguished guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
I am honoured to join the people of Limpopo Province and in particular the community of Mopani district here today as we observe the fifth anniversary of the Partnership Against AIDS.
Since the launch of the Partnership in 1998, the country has pulled many resources from diverse communities and social groupings in order to equip itself with a united response against one of the major challenges facing us at this moment.
Our theme for this year's Partnership Against AIDS commemoration is: "Five years of Partnership moving towards ten years of democracy". This theme requires us to reflect on the five years of partnerships and the progress we have made in joining forces against this major challenge. We look back at this five years with confidence because of a mixture of partners and a progressive group of people that joined and ran with AIDS programmes and projects over this period.
The Partnership Against AIDS was launched by the then Deputy President and now our honourable President Thabo Mbeki on 9 October 1998. It was launched to ensure that we form a broad-based and multi-sectoral response led by leaders and ordinary South Africans in all sectors of our society.
The approach was adopted because of the recognition that no single sector, ministry, department or organisation can single-handedly stop the spread of HIV and alleviate the impact of AIDS. Every one of us has to make a contribution if we are to be successful.
The more partners support both infected and affected communities, the more options we get of addressing many of the complex issues surrounding HIV and AIDS. An effective partnership based response to HIV and AIDS need to be owned, directly and sustained by all our structures. All sectors and all spheres of our society have to be involved as partners. We have to join hands to develop programmes and share information and research that will halt the spread of HIV infection and help develop support networks for those who are affected. In addition, networking amongst sectors and partners is a critical element of a comprehensive and integrated response and it encourages coordination and ensures that services are not duplicated.
There has certainly been a growth in the number of organisations taking up the "partnership" challenge. Each sector we have targeted has initiated activities in the area of HIV and AIDS. These organisations have become a backbone in alleviating the impact of AIDS and they are examples of best practice.
I would like to acknowledge particularly the women of this country who have come together to form a Women in Partnership Against AIDS. This mobilisation of women has not ended within our border but has brought together women from all Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states together to share their experiences and address critical issues that make women more vulnerable to HIV infection and the impact of AIDS.
The powerful influence of faith leaders and the number of people associated with many faith-based organisations makes it imperative that this sector unites behind this common cause. We therefore launched the faith-based HIV and AIDS initiative to coordinate and facilitate activities across various denominations.
To make inroads into rural and most remote communities, Traditional Leaders AIDS programmes were launched and these programmes now cover at least seven provinces of our country.
Men have also come up to join this fight under the slogan: "South African Men Care Enough to Act". For the first time in October 2002 hundreds of men gathered in an Imbizo in Cape Town to pledge their commitment and many local structures of men united against AIDS are being established at local level.
Programmes have been introduced for the deaf and blind communities. These activities vary from the translation of the HIV, AIDS and STI Strategic Plan into Braille language to education on how to use a condom. This week I had the privilege of attending the Africa regional conference of the Rehabilitation International where people with disability also discussed about their issues of sexuality. The point that was highlighted was that the rest of the society seems to forget that people with disabilities have sexual needs as well and they therefore need information about sexually transmitted infections including HIV.
Many initiatives have been launched in the private sector to support the response of HIV and AIDS. Trade Unions have been mobilised as they provide a link with workers at the shop floor. We have initiatives such as Trucking Against AIDS, which provides mobile clinics for treating STI and providing education to drivers and sex workers.
As we are hosted by the Limpopo Province, I should also acknowledge the wonderful partnerships that have been forged in this Province, including the Ba-Phalaborwa HIV and AIDS Community Programme. The key focus of the programme is to ensure a strong coordinated response from all sectors of the community in education, prevention and management of HIV as well as caring for vulnerable children.
The future of our country lies in the hands of all these organisations and initiatives that are making a difference at a community level. But what is important is that the decisions we take as individuals are the ones that will determine whether we succeed or fail. When all the information has been provided, it is an individual's decision not to have sex, to be loyal to one partner or to use a condom. These are decisions that each and every one of us has to take.
It is also our duty to check our HIV status by going for voluntary counselling and testing. The outcome of the test will assist you in taking important decision about your life. If you are HIV negative you can ensure that you avoid the risk of infection.
If one is HIV positive, there are many things that we can do to ensure that we lead a long and healthy life. This can be achieved through provision of a comprehensive care that includes good nutrition, healthy lifestyle and treatment of opportunistic infection.
Good nutrition in conjunction with healthy life style such as regular exercises, stress management and stable psycho social well being, will assist the individual to live positively with HIV. Providing nutrition does not just end up with nutritious raw food but goes beyond to how the food is also prepared. Efforts have to be made to ensure that food is cooked properly to preserve nutrients.
As government, we will continue to strengthen our response to HIV and AIDS. So, young people need to abstain from sex for as long as possible. We have to be faithful to our partners or use a condom. Condoms are available free of charge in all our clinics.
The vast majority of the people who are estimated to be HIV positive have not yet progressed to developing AIDS defining diseases. These people do not require antiretroviral treatment, but can lead a normal life through proper nutrition, healthy lifestyles and treatment of opportunistic infections. These interventions are critical in ensuring that most of the people with HIV live a productive life for a long time before developing AIDS defining diseases. We will ensure that the interests of this group are not undermined by those who want us to believe that there is only one end-all solution to this major challenge.
Partnerships are also being formed to support those who living with AIDS including various community and home-based care projects. Traditional health practitioners are working hard to alleviate the impact of AIDS by providing products that boost the immune system and tackle some of the opportunistic infections. We have therefore set up a National Referral Centre for African Traditional Medicine to facilitate further research into these medicines and ensure that they are safe and of good quality. We know that these medicines work, they are widely available and they have simple treatment regimen.
We should remember that there is no cure for HIV and AIDS. But with the support of all of you and our partners across South Africa, the Department of Health will always go an extra mile to ensure that we provide the best possible health care to all South Africans including people living with HIV and AIDS.
With these words, I would like request our custodian in the Partnership Against AIDS and the Chairperson of the South African National AIDS Council to address us today. That is our honourable Deputy President, Mr Jacob Zuma.
Thank you
Issued by: Meropa Communications
4 October 2003
Source: Meropa Communications
Title: Tshabalala-Msimang: 5th Anniversary of the Partnership Against AIDS
SPEECH BY THE MINISTER OF HEALTH, DR ME TSHABALALA-MSIMANG, AT THE 5th ANNIVERSARY OF THE PARTNERSHIP AGAINST AIDS, Phalaborwa, 4 October 2003
Honourable Deputy President
Premier of Limpopo
Distinguished guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
I am honoured to join the people of Limpopo Province and in particular the community of Mopani district here today as we observe the fifth anniversary of the Partnership Against AIDS.
Since the launch of the Partnership in 1998, the country has pulled many resources from diverse communities and social groupings in order to equip itself with a united response against one of the major challenges facing us at this moment.
Our theme for this year's Partnership Against AIDS commemoration is: "Five years of Partnership moving towards ten years of democracy". This theme requires us to reflect on the five years of partnerships and the progress we have made in joining forces against this major challenge. We look back at this five years with confidence because of a mixture of partners and a progressive group of people that joined and ran with AIDS programmes and projects over this period.
The Partnership Against AIDS was launched by the then Deputy President and now our honourable President Thabo Mbeki on 9 October 1998. It was launched to ensure that we form a broad-based and multi-sectoral response led by leaders and ordinary South Africans in all sectors of our society.
The approach was adopted because of the recognition that no single sector, ministry, department or organisation can single-handedly stop the spread of HIV and alleviate the impact of AIDS. Every one of us has to make a contribution if we are to be successful.
The more partners support both infected and affected communities, the more options we get of addressing many of the complex issues surrounding HIV and AIDS. An effective partnership based response to HIV and AIDS need to be owned, directly and sustained by all our structures. All sectors and all spheres of our society have to be involved as partners. We have to join hands to develop programmes and share information and research that will halt the spread of HIV infection and help develop support networks for those who are affected. In addition, networking amongst sectors and partners is a critical element of a comprehensive and integrated response and it encourages coordination and ensures that services are not duplicated.
There has certainly been a growth in the number of organisations taking up the "partnership" challenge. Each sector we have targeted has initiated activities in the area of HIV and AIDS. These organisations have become a backbone in alleviating the impact of AIDS and they are examples of best practice.
I would like to acknowledge particularly the women of this country who have come together to form a Women in Partnership Against AIDS. This mobilisation of women has not ended within our border but has brought together women from all Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states together to share their experiences and address critical issues that make women more vulnerable to HIV infection and the impact of AIDS.
The powerful influence of faith leaders and the number of people associated with many faith-based organisations makes it imperative that this sector unites behind this common cause. We therefore launched the faith-based HIV and AIDS initiative to coordinate and facilitate activities across various denominations.
To make inroads into rural and most remote communities, Traditional Leaders AIDS programmes were launched and these programmes now cover at least seven provinces of our country.
Men have also come up to join this fight under the slogan: "South African Men Care Enough to Act". For the first time in October 2002 hundreds of men gathered in an Imbizo in Cape Town to pledge their commitment and many local structures of men united against AIDS are being established at local level.
Programmes have been introduced for the deaf and blind communities. These activities vary from the translation of the HIV, AIDS and STI Strategic Plan into Braille language to education on how to use a condom. This week I had the privilege of attending the Africa regional conference of the Rehabilitation International where people with disability also discussed about their issues of sexuality. The point that was highlighted was that the rest of the society seems to forget that people with disabilities have sexual needs as well and they therefore need information about sexually transmitted infections including HIV.
Many initiatives have been launched in the private sector to support the response of HIV and AIDS. Trade Unions have been mobilised as they provide a link with workers at the shop floor. We have initiatives such as Trucking Against AIDS, which provides mobile clinics for treating STI and providing education to drivers and sex workers.
As we are hosted by the Limpopo Province, I should also acknowledge the wonderful partnerships that have been forged in this Province, including the Ba-Phalaborwa HIV and AIDS Community Programme. The key focus of the programme is to ensure a strong coordinated response from all sectors of the community in education, prevention and management of HIV as well as caring for vulnerable children.
The future of our country lies in the hands of all these organisations and initiatives that are making a difference at a community level. But what is important is that the decisions we take as individuals are the ones that will determine whether we succeed or fail. When all the information has been provided, it is an individual's decision not to have sex, to be loyal to one partner or to use a condom. These are decisions that each and every one of us has to take.
It is also our duty to check our HIV status by going for voluntary counselling and testing. The outcome of the test will assist you in taking important decision about your life. If you are HIV negative you can ensure that you avoid the risk of infection.
If one is HIV positive, there are many things that we can do to ensure that we lead a long and healthy life. This can be achieved through provision of a comprehensive care that includes good nutrition, healthy lifestyle and treatment of opportunistic infection.
Good nutrition in conjunction with healthy life style such as regular exercises, stress management and stable psycho social well being, will assist the individual to live positively with HIV. Providing nutrition does not just end up with nutritious raw food but goes beyond to how the food is also prepared. Efforts have to be made to ensure that food is cooked properly to preserve nutrients.
As government, we will continue to strengthen our response to HIV and AIDS. So, young people need to abstain from sex for as long as possible. We have to be faithful to our partners or use a condom. Condoms are available free of charge in all our clinics.
The vast majority of the people who are estimated to be HIV positive have not yet progressed to developing AIDS defining diseases. These people do not require antiretroviral treatment, but can lead a normal life through proper nutrition, healthy lifestyles and treatment of opportunistic infections. These interventions are critical in ensuring that most of the people with HIV live a productive life for a long time before developing AIDS defining diseases. We will ensure that the interests of this group are not undermined by those who want us to believe that there is only one end-all solution to this major challenge.
Partnerships are also being formed to support those who living with AIDS including various community and home-based care projects. Traditional health practitioners are working hard to alleviate the impact of AIDS by providing products that boost the immune system and tackle some of the opportunistic infections. We have therefore set up a National Referral Centre for African Traditional Medicine to facilitate further research into these medicines and ensure that they are safe and of good quality. We know that these medicines work, they are widely available and they have simple treatment regimen.
We should remember that there is no cure for HIV and AIDS. But with the support of all of you and our partners across South Africa, the Department of Health will always go an extra mile to ensure that we provide the best possible health care to all South Africans including people living with HIV and AIDS.
With these words, I would like request our custodian in the Partnership Against AIDS and the Chairperson of the South African National AIDS Council to address us today. That is our honourable Deputy President, Mr Jacob Zuma.
Thank you
Issued by: Meropa Communications
4 October 2003
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