HACT takes leading stance against Covid-19 outbreak

SINCE the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic in South Africa, the Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust (HACT) took proactive steps in its response to virus.

This included an education campaign on prevention and good hygiene, the instruction of appropriate behaviour (hand washing, staying home if sick, knowing when to contact healthcare providers) and ensured its staff and beneficiaries were informed through the dissemination of trusted information sources.

“With the newly announced lock-down, all our community projects and campaigns will be temporarily suspended and our shops and administration offices closed,” said the non-profit organisation’s CEO, Candace Davidson.

In the lead up to the national lockdown, the NPO has increased sanitation measures and included hand sanitizers, disposable paper towels and extra cleaning regimens, especially of shared surfaces.

“For Woza Moya, we tried to stagger the intake of beadwork to avoid beadworkers coming in large groups. Upcoming group events, such as our primary school soccer tournament and Gogolympics have been cancelled and our programmes in schools were halted,” said Candace.

With the travel bans coming into effect, many of HACT’s international volunteers were recalled home and the visits of upcoming international groups were cancelled.

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She noted that the drop in consumers was an area of real concern as shop sales create work for local crafters and, without this income, the impact on beneficiary families would be significant.

“Woza Moya is also getting negatively affected as orders related to conferences are being cancelled. To counter these affects, we are doing what we can to think creatively and ‘out of the box’, including exploring what new products can be made. For example, we had a large order for dust masks (not preventative health masks) as the customer was unable to source these elsewhere due to the demand for any type of masks. Our online shopping services remain in place and we are trying to stay positive that we will weather this.

“The economic ripple effect is already being felt and will be felt more severely with the lock down. The same loss of customers was experienced by our newly opened café as well as our plant nursery, haberdashery and charity shop,” said Candace.

Compile resources

The on-site Respite Unit patients are the most vulnerable and visitors were limited to immediate family only. No groups of visitors or external groups were allowed. Access control as well as sanitation, hygiene and infection controls were also tightened.

“We were being inundated with calls, particularly from grandparents, asking for information about this ‘new virus’ they were hearing about. We compiled resources that were disseminated to inform and educate across our beneficiary demographics as well as to common community places such as ward counsellor offices, taxi ranks, businesses and churches,” said Candace.

“As an HIV/AIDS Centre we know all too well that a slow or poor response to a pandemic can have grave consequences and that behaviour change can be difficult but is essential,” she said.

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“It is essential that HIV positive individuals stay on their ARV treatment, as being on treatment may reduce their risk of severe Covid-19. We have seen that being on treatment reduces the risk of severe seasonal flu because of a reduced viral load and strengthened immune system.

“However, people who are immune compromised (those with low CD4 counts and those who are defaulting treatment) will be more at risk, as will anyone with compromised lung function due to recurrent lung infections such as TB and chronic asthmatics,” said Candace.

With the lock-down in full effect, all the organisation’s income generating projects have been closed while its Respite Unit’s doors remain open to help critically ill patients who have nowhere to go during the lock-down period.

“Once-off donations can also be made safely and securely from anywhere in the world via our website, and will enable our team to purchase medicine and other urgent supplies,” said Candace.

Contact the Hillcrest AIDS Centre via email at info@hillaids.org.za or visit its website, www.hillaids.org.za, to make a donation.

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