Civil society, big businesses and the government will team up from 2 April to promote family health and create awareness about HIV/ Aids, Tuberculosis (TB) and non-communicable diseases.

Rotarians for Family Health & Aids Prevention (RFHA) is a global Rotarian Action Group and mobilising partner of Rotary International. RFHA has received an unprecedented commitment from the Department of Health (DoH), the Coca-Cola Africa Foundation, SABC and Caxton Community Newspapers to support the implementation of the Rotary Family Health Days (RFHDs) programme across the country.

The programme is Rotary-led with international support from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and Usaid (agencies of the US government that fund HIV/Aids programmes).

Other services over the three days will include TB symptomatic screening, diabetes and blood pressure screening, measles vaccination, deworming and the dispensing of vitamin A.

This is an initiative of Rotarians For Family Health & Aids Prevention Inc (RFHA), Rotary’s mobilising and implementing partner in the area of disease prevention, including HIV/ Aids.

The Family Health Days are a comprehensive, holistic offering of free health care for parents, children, grandparents, friends and all family members in over 143 sites across the country. Approximately 4 000 Rotarians from 225 Rotary Clubs will be volunteering between 9am to 4pm daily and working the sites to assist the medical staff and deliver the services to South Africans.

It is the vision of RFHA, Rotary leaders and other partners to expand the health event each year to other African countries.

Rotary at a glance:

Rotary brings together a global network of volunteer leaders who dedicate their time and talent to tackle the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges. Rotary connects 1,2 million members from more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Their work impacts lives at local and international levels, from helping families in need in their own communities to working towards a polio-free world.

Rotary brings together the kind of people who step forward to take on important issues for local communities worldwide. Rotary members hail from a range of professional backgrounds; doctors, artists, small business owners and stay-at-home parents all call themselves Rotarians.

Rotary connects these unique perspectives, and helps leverage its members’ expertise to improve lives everywhere.

Rotary brings free health services to you:

The Rotary Family Health Days is the signature programme of Rotarians For Family Health & Aids Prevention (RFHA).

The programme promotes healthy living and disease prevention by implementing a massive, annual campaign that provides comprehensive, free health care services to tens of thousands of people in underprivileged communities.

The services include lifelong immunisations to children, such as polio and measles vaccines and comprehensive life-saving annual screens such as HIV, TB, diabetes, hypertension, malaria and more. The programme is Rotary-led and sponsored by The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation, the South Africa Department of Health, the CDC, Usaid, and the SABC and Caxton as primary media partners as well as YFM, Media 24 News and IndependentNews and Media Group.

For more information contact Dehlia van Staden on 011 953 3727. To find out more about the RFHDs and the sites in your area visit www.rfha.org.za or dial *120*7343#

You also can follow them on twitter @RFHD ZA or ‘like’ their facebook page facebook.com/RotaryFamilyHealthDays.