Mobile health unit lifeline to sex workers
Services provided by the organisation are counselling, testing and screening for HIV, TB, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and other wellness services.
More sex workers in the Ugu District will now be able to access LifeLine Durban’s health services as a mobile unit aims to extend its reach into rural areas.
It is an extension to services already being provided at its permanent office in Marburg.
However, this site is only accessible to sex workers from Oslo Beach, Mkholombe, Louisiana, Tweni and other areas in close proximity.
“We reach on average of about 3000 sex workers in the district. We see about 70 percent of them regularly and the balance on an irregular basis,” said LifeLine programme director, Jan Thathiah.
Services provided by the organisation are counselling, testing and screening for HIV, TB, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and other wellness services.
“The mobile unit is well kitted out, one can do pap smears, including everything that can be done in a regular clinic,” said Jan.
In 2002, LifeLine started reaching out to the sex worker community in eThekwini via a programme called Ithubalethu which means ‘your chance to make a difference’.
The programme was brought into Ugu in 2013.
According to Jan, the sex worker community is open to receiving assistance.
“We work on a peer based methodology system. To join the programme as a peer educator, one has to be a sex worker. They then reach out to other sex workers to inform them about LifeLine’s services. The peer educator helps them consult a nursing sister, to provide them with full clinical services.”
HIV Testing and Counselling (HTS) counsellors also play a critical role in the organisation.
“Of the 3000 sex workers, 1400 are HIV negative, and we make sure they remain so,” said Jan.
The organisation provides regular testing and also takes sexual reproductive health services to them.
“It’s about making sure that they don’t pass on HIV. If we keep our sex workers safe, obviously the general population will then be free of HIV.”
The mobile unit will be operational most of the week, visiting 64 sex worker sites in Ugu, as well as beyond in informal settlements and rural areas.
“It gives us an entrance to provide holistic services. Currently we are restricted because many of the sites we visit, don’t have a private place where a patient can be diagnosed,” said Jan.
For optimal functionality, the local team is made up of three professional nurses, 10 HTS counsellors, 27 peer educators, two social workers who provide psychosocial support, an advocacy officer who looks at human rights violations and provides sensitisation to key stakeholders such as the Department of Health and the police.
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