Health and social service providers in Alexandra came out in full force on February 16 with their HIV/Aids Counselling and Testing (HCT) campaign at Alex Plaza Shopping Centre
They included the SA National TB Association, Joburg City Council’s Health Department and Department of Home Affairs. They performed tests, and gave referrals and advise on legal documents to hundreds of people. The group also visited a nearby taxi rank and gave door-to-door visits.
While the focus was HIV counselling and testing, they took pap smears for cervical cancer, gave referrals to check for breast cancer, screened for prostate cancer, and tested blood pressure, checked for diabetes, tested cholesterol levels and for tuberculosis, .
Campaign co-ordinator Christopher Rabadi said, “Our target was the workers who can’t access health and other social services during the week, and those who are discouraged from using clinics due to overcrowding.
“We also observed an increase in interest in this programme from the public.”
He said most interest was shown in the HIV/Aids programme. “Those [people] were counselled, tested and referred for treatment and given condoms for safe sex use.
“It seems fear of stigmatisation and taboos associated with this disease are lessening.”
Rabadi commended traditional healers for encouraging clients to go for medical treatment for Aids, including circumcision.
“Despite this and the massive campaigns, our main challenge is literacy,” he said.
A lot of people still don’t understand the importance of regular testing, and some HIV/Aids sufferers stop treatment when they feel better, thinking they are cured, said Rabadi.
Some families continue to discriminate against those infected, and refuse to share eating utensils, assist them to bath or help them adhere to the prescribed medication, he explained.
“Intense campaigning is still essential,” concluded Rabadi.
Jackie Matlala has made use of the facilities since the inception and commended the campaign, saying it brought services to people, in particular workers who have no clinics at their work places.
“The event really fulfils the batho pele principle [putting people first] by providing multiple services in one place. In particular, it raises men’s awareness on cancer – which is still regarded as a disease for women,” he said.
Other participants hailed the HCT campaign as they now know their HIV status and could take precautionary measures.
