Witkoppen Clinic commemorates World Aids Day to raise awareness about the epidemic
Local health facility commemorates World Aids Day to educate members of the community about the epidemic.
To raise awareness and educate members of the public about HIV/Aids, Witkoppen Clinic hosted this year’s World Aids Day on December 1 under the theme Equalize.
World Aids Day is dedicated to raising awareness of Aids caused by the spread of HIV infection and mourning those who have died of the disease.
The World Health Organisation, various health organisations and the world community has been commemorating this day since 1988.
Executive director at Witkoppen Clinic Dr Jean Basset said she strongly believed that the country was winning the war against the spread of HIV/Aids.
She said the number of people testing positive at the clinic had declined significantly over the past 10 years.
“Witkoppen Clinic has tested about 500 000 people for HIV since it started offering HIV/Aids services years ago. Back in 2008, we found that out of 100 people who were tested, a total of 38 people tested positive for HIV. To date, our statistics show that the numbers of people testing positive have significantly decreased with only four or five people testing positive out of 100 people.”
Basset said their objective was to ensure that all members of the society, especially the marginalised, get access to adequate health care services. “We have a dedicated team that ensures that a patient does not default on their medication because there are many factors that can make people default on their medication.”
Health care facility manager Dr Dan Nemachene said the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic three years ago had reversed the gains made to combat HIV/Aids.
“Covid-19 has had a negative impact on our fight against HIV/Aids in the past two years. Many people abandoned their medication because of the pandemic and it took us three steps back on our fight to achieve 2030 goals.”
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