Health and Social Development MMC brings HIV/Aids treatment to shopping centres
Ennie Makhafola said this during the Close the Gap campaign which is aimed at helping fight various health concerns, including HIV/Aids and prostate cancer, among others.
The city’s MMC for Health and Social Development, Ennie Makhafola, said that they want to make sure they do not work in silos in the fight against HIV/Aids. Makhafolsa said this during the Close the Gap campaign at the Boulders Shopping Centre on July 11.
She said they want to raise awareness and be on the ground in an attempt to reach those who can’t access health facilities due to complicated working hours, or other reasons.
@caxtonjoburgnorth DESCRIPTION: Health and Social Development MMC Ennie Makhafola lead popular retail workers to texting during the Close the Gap Campaign at the Boulders Shopping Centre on July 11, 2025. Video: Sphiwe Masilela #caxtonlocalmedia #midrandreporter #fypシ゚viral #fy ♬ original sound – Caxton Joburg North
Makhafola encouraged shoppers to visit the various stations. The services offered included HIV/Aids, TB, prostate and cervical cancer screening and testing, and condom and sanitary towels distribution. “The Close the Gap campaign was launched by the health minister [Dr Aaron Motsoaledi] at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital about two months ago. We are targeting malls and shopping centres because, imagine how many employees the mall has, including shoppers. So, we are trying to go on the ground and let people know that our clinics and hospitals are working, but we are also here to give those services, if they can’t access our health facilities.”
Also read: Close the Gap Campaign seeks to address health issues in Region A
She said there were a few reasons resulting in the relapse of HIV/Aids patients who start treatment and stop along the way, including long working hours and some forgetting to take transfer letters when they are migrating.
Makhafola urges those whose viral load becomes lower than detectable not to stop or default on their treatment, especially men. “People think that they are cured. HIV does not get cured. We are just making it better. Those are some of the challenges we come across, so it’s vital to advise our people that, once they default on their treatments, then they are going back to square one.”
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She said the campaign will continue in other shopping centres and malls across the city because they are getting a positive turnout.
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