Ekurhuleni makes progress in the fight against HIV and Aids
As World Aids Day (December 1) draws closer, the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality recently reviewed its progress in fighting the pandemic and supporting those who are infected at the Ekurhuleni HIV and Aids Conference.
The two-day conference, which was held at the Springs Civic Centre, last week, was spearheaded by the Ekurhuleni Aids Council and attended by more than 400 delegates.
The conference reflected on the plague of the virus in Ekurhuleni and highlighted that, in the metro, an average of 474 790 HIV tests are conducted per year, and that the HIV positivity rate from those tests has dropped from 25 per cent in 2011/12 to 15 per cent in 2013/14.
Furthermore, the rate of infection amongst expectant mothers has decreased to 20.5 per cent and the number of babies born to HIV-positive mothers testing PCR has also decreased 1.8 per cent.
“It is clear that our programmes are on the right track, but, this doesn’t mean we must slow down in our war against HIV,” said Ekurhuleni executive mayor Clr Mondli Gungubele during the opening of the conference.
“It demonstrates that we have clearly made some strides, but we cannot afford to be complacent about the status quo.”
Director of the Multi Sectoral Aids Unit, at the Gauteng Department of Health, Dr Elizabeth Floyd, reflected on the Gauteng strategic plan on HIV, TB and STIs for 2012 to 2016 and stated that the number of children’s hospices have decreased because the number of mother to child infections have declined.
She also emphasised the need for the participation of the younger generation in such initiatives, as young woman, in particular, are more vulnerable to the virus.
“Young women are the most vulnerable because of social issues,” said Floyd.
“We need young leaders to lead young people because they can speak in a language and about circumstances that they understand and can relate to.”
The conference was the second in as many years and served as a mid-term review of the Ekurhuleni Strategic Plan on HIV, STIs and Tuberculosis for 2012 to 2016.
