BuaNews (Tshwane)
Luyanda Makapela
15 November 2007
Boksburg — Businesses, government, non-governmental organisations and communities need to work together in a joint initiative to fight the challenges of HIV and AIDS, says Gauteng Premier Mbazima Shilowa.
Addressing about 800 delegates at a two-day Gauteng Aids Conference on Thursday, Premier Shilowa called on society to engage in a social change and work together.
"AIDS affect everyone. We cannot rely solely on awareness, the challenge remains with us to change our mindset and make informed decisions.
"Until we decide and change individually, and change the way we behave on closed doors, we will be able to embark on a joint effort and work together with all stakeholders with the aim of fighting HIV and AIDS," Premier Shilowa said.
He said there was a need of more collective partnership between government and other sectors in order to take talk into action.
"We need to work as a collective and engage on how do we upscale treatment and address the issue of multi-drug resistance by people infected by the disease," he said.
Treatment Action Campaign's Agnes Moloi, who tested HIV positive in 1991 said people, especially from those in rural areas needed to be educated more on HIV and AIDS issues.
"People should join hands and take responsibility to protect ourselves. Those that are already infected should remain faithful and not infect others," she said.
In making efforts to work with the communities, West Rand Municipality official, Dora Nondzaba said her institution engaged local AIDS committees through local structures to make door-to-door visits.
She said all their structure, at local level, were trained on HIV and AIDS issues and support has been offered in each region.
"We also engage them on income-generating project which are solely coordinated by people infected and affected with the virus.
"With such a ward-base approach, we strongly believe that we will conquer the disease," Ms Nondzaba said.
The conference is aimed at looking at recommendations to accelerate the AIDS response in Gauteng with a view of preventing new HIV infections and provide social support for families affected by AIDS, in order to reduce the socio-economic development in South Africa.
Revision of the National Strategic Plan on HIV and AIDS for 2007-2011 which will provide a new energy to the National AIDS effort with a framework aligning, national, provincial and local government, will also be considered.
The plan will also ensure a large-scale implementation of activities with a need to decentralise delivery to local level with required resources, capacity and management to ensure that activities were sustained.
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