Issued by: Office of the Deputy President
Welkom, 09 October 2000
The Premier of the Free State
The Minister of Health
The Mayor of Welkom
Distinguished guests,
ladies and gentlemen
It is with great pleasure that I stand before you today, in this important occasion marking the second anniversary of the launch of the Partnership Against Aids.
This is an important gathering and it reconfirms our commitment to the fight against HIV/AIDS. We see strength in the collective efforts of different sectors of our society, from business, sports, youth, women, religious community, traditional leaders, traditional healers, organised labour, NGO’s, the hospitality industry, government and others.
HIV/Aids has already taken a terrible human toll, and continues to rob us of our loved ones, neighbours and colleagues, and also threatens to frustrate our national goals.Such a challenge requires the collective efforts of South Africans from all walks of life.
I am proud to be here today to reinforce government’s commitment to this fight.We are pleased that our collective efforts appear to be yielding results, as seen in the increasing HIV/Aids awareness level, which is currently estimated to be at 93%.
We also see indications that the campaign is indeed moving beyond awareness as intended, and is leading towards a change in behaviour. The evidence of this is the fact that the demand for free condoms issued by government has increased from 200 million last year to about 350 million this year.We have also made further progress as far as the as co-ordination of efforts is concerned, with the formation of the South African National Aids Council (SANAC), which has a clear multi-sectoral strategy in place. Our focus continues to be the prevention of further infections, treatment of opportunistic infections and provision of care and support to people living with the virus.Worldwide experience teaches us that the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) is an effective way of reducing and preventing infections.
We have therefore prioritised treatment of STDs in all our clinics and other primary health care centres. We have also developed guidelines for the treatment of opportunistic infections. The building of new clinics, some in very remote rural areas, improves access to treatment for people living with HIV/Aids in these areas.
In the last few months, we have built a further 59 clinics.Preventing mother to child transmission of the virus remains a complex challenge, especially in the context of breast-feeding.
To intensify efforts towards a solution, Government has decided to expand research sites to all provinces, urban and rural. From this, will emerge a comprehensive programme to fight this type of transmission.I am also happy to report that the work of the South African Vaccine Initiative, an initiative funded by Eskom and Government and launched in January this year, is fairly advanced.
Trials will begin early in 2001.
The vaccine is part of our quest for a long-term solution to the scourge.Having touched briefly on the government health programme, it is also critical to stress that the responsibility of preventing the spread of the epidemic rests with each individual.
That is why we reiterate the call to our people to protect themselves from infection by heeding the ABC message of Aids prevention "Abstain from sex, Be faithful to one partner or use a Condom". Having said that, we are also mindful of the fact that certain socio-economic conditions frustrate prevention efforts. One of these is the position of women in our society. The unequal power relations among men and women, the poor respect that men have for women, make it difficult for women to protect themselves from infection.
The majority of women are socially and economically dependent on men, and this limits their ability to negotiate terms in relationships and safe sex.Given this problem, the campaign against Aids cannot succeed without the participation, co-operation and support of men.
We therefore make a clarion call to all South African men to begin to play a leading role in the fight against Aids and to become part of the solution. The theme for this year’s upcoming World Aids Day is - Men Can Make a Difference. We invite men to become our new partners, actively involved in anti-HIV/Aids campaigns as fathers, sons, husbands and partners, and for them to become visible champions of the fight against the disease.Another area of great concern is the role played by poverty in undermining the fight against diseases.
Poor sanitation, malnutrition, unemployment and homelessness continue to plague our people, as a legacy of decades of apartheid. The poorest of the poor are always hit hardest by epidemics of this nature.
For this reason, our development strategies in rural and peri-urban areas, are aimed at finding a sustainable solution to the challenges of poverty.
One of the initiatives is assisting rural communities to grow in their back gardens, nutritious foods that would bolster their immune systems.
Another example of our visible response to the epidemic was the launch of two housing projects in KwaZulu-Natal last week, to provide shelter for Aids orphans. I would like to acknowledge the contribution of the different players in the Partnership Against Aids, as all have made an impact in their different sectors. Our sports and entertainment sectors, for example, have engaged in high profile educational campaigns. We need more ambassadors from different sectors of society to donate, a moment of their time, each day, to reach out to one young person.
One moment, one day, one young person!. Our children regard our stars as heroes and they need to continue setting a good example by speaking out about safe sex and sending a message to the youth to delay sexual activity until they reach maturity.Director of the Programme, I would be failing in my duty if I do not stress the importance of the partnership between those who are infected and those who are not.
Our infected compatriots help us to spread the message to South Africans, who are not as yet aware of their HIV/Aids status, that they should fight HIV/Aids and not people who have the virus. In this vein, I would like to salute the courageous South Africans who have disclosed their HIV/Aids status, showing exemplary and courageous leadership. From ordinary people in our rural villages, to high profile campaigners in our suburbs and townships, their resilience makes us proud and gives us and their families strength.It is imperative that the Partnership Against Aids grows from strength to strength, based on mutual trust and respect. In our quest for solutions, it is crucial that we stay focused, united and determined.
We need to concentrate on what we can do together to win the war against this silent killer. This Government continues to be committed to ensure that this epidemic does not divide or immobilise us.
I would like to repeat the call with specific emphasis to men, who have so far been seen to be less active in this war against HIV/AIDS and are a deciding factor in the of the lopsided relationship between men and women. It is men who can make a bigger difference in this fight. As men, we should always remember that we carry a bigger responsibility to ensure that this epidemic is defeated. We owe that to future generations.
I thank you.