Grobblersdal, Mpumalanga, 16 April 2002
Greetings
It is a great pleasure for me to be with you here in Grobblersdal during this period when all of us who are deployed in government - from councillors at local government up to the President of our country - are expected to go out and interact with our communities.
We decided as government that we should have at least two weeks in a year during which we should focus our attention on getting the views of our people on the delivery of government services and how these services can be improved.
So today I am not supposed to stand in front of you and talk about what government is doing. My duty today is to listen to your views. Where do you think we need to improve and more importantly, what do you think should be your role as a community in improving our living conditions?
Allow me than programme director to try and outline our approach as government to bringing about a better life to our people over the past seven years of our democracy. This is aimed at providing a general framework for our discussion today.
Since 1994, we have worked very hard in improving access to basic services. This included:
Within the health sector we constructed more than 500 new clinics to ensure that our people in most remote areas have access to health care. While we continue to extend access to health care, our focus after the 1999 elections has been on improving the quality of health care.
This is an area where we really need active community participation. We want to ensure that our people participate in hospital boards, clinic committees and other health structures. Active participation in these structures enables communities to determine the kind of services that are provided to them.
We also took a strategic approach to promote preventative measures as opposed curative approach used by the previous government. We promoted the vaccination of our children, community health care and health promotion and education to enable communities to take informed decision about their health.
The success rate of these measures is largely dependent on the level of participation of you and me as members of the community.
The role of communities is also crucial as we respond to major communicable diseases like tuberculosis and HIV and AIDS. Our approach to TB requires training of community members to assist TB patients to take their tablets correctly and to complete the course. Also the home-based care programme which we are initiating together with the Department of Social Development requires mobilisation of community members to assist those who are infected and affected by HIV and AIDS as well as other chronic illnesses.
This Imbizo focus week falls within this month's campaign to promote food security, nutrition and health. Earlier I visited Sanel (South African National Epilepsy League) clinic just across the valley from here and I was very encouraged to see the work that is being done by patients in that institution.
If people who are recovering from epilepsy and other mental health problems can run such wonderful (carpentry) projects and also grow their own food gardens, I do not see a reason why all of us gathered here should not use our backyard to plant vegetables and fruits.
Most of us have changed our lifestyles and we are buying refined convenient foods that contain too much salt, sugar and fat and not enough fibre, vitamins and minerals. We have stopped eating or we are eating less fresh fruit and vegetables. This change in food intake increases the risk of lifestyle nutrition related diseases such as cancer and heart disease.
Good nutrition is not important only in preventing diseases, but it is a critical part of managing diseases among those who are already infected or sick. The effect of under-nutrition on tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, cancer and other chronically ill patients is that it creates the added effect of wasting (or losing weight), and consequently, a further suppression of the immune system. As you know, most illnesses cause a loss of appetite and medication that needs to be taken may cause nausea. Both these factors lead to poorer food intake. Poor food intake reduces the level of nutrients in the body.
On the other hand, every new infection raises the need for energy and nutrients in the body. HIV and other infections also destroy the lining of the stomach, thus affecting the ability of the gut to digest and absorb food.
To tackle these challenges, we have developed national Guidelines on Nutrition for People Living with TB, HIV/AIDS and other Chronic Debilitating Conditions. These guidelines provide information on:
The answer to the challenge of poor nutrition and inadequate diet is to go back to what we used to do to support our families and grow our own vegetables and fruits. Growing vegetables and fruits can improve your family's diet and add vital substances (nutrients) at a little cost.
Studies have also shown that a high intake of vegetables and fruit reduces the risk of certain diseases like cancer, heart disease, diabetes and constipation. Therefore, growing vegetables will mean protecting yourself and your family from such diseases. It is not necessary to have a large plot of land to grow vegetables - even small patches of ground can be used. Programme director, I am sure that we will be able to take into consideration the few points that I have outlined when we raise the issues that are of concern to the community here. I am awaiting your views on how we can best execute the mandate you gave to us during 1999 general election and local government elections in 2000.
I am looking forward to hearing your ideas.
Thank you.