HIV Counselling and Testing Campaign (HCT) in KwaZulu-Natal

In the month of April 2010, the Government of KwaZulu-Natal launched the HIV Counselling and Testing Campaign to mobilize all the people of the Province to get tested

for HIV and know their status. With this campaign the Government of KwaZulu-Natal through the Department of Health aims to test more than 3million people in the Province over a period of fourteen months.

This campaign followed the announcement by the President of the Republic of South Africa, Mr Jacob Zuma during World AIDS Day in 2009, whereby he called on all South Africans to continue to join forces in the fight to overcome the HIV and AIDS epidemic. Addressing the nation, President Zuma said “All South Africans should take steps to ensure that they do not become infected, that they do not infect others and that they know their status. Each individual must take responsibility for protection against HIV”.

What does HCT campaign mean to the citizens of KwaZulu-Natal?

This campaigns means that every citizen of KwaZulu-Natal is automatically offered HIV Counselling and Testing Services in all public health institutions throughout the Province. No citizen should leave any public health institution without getting counseled and tested for HIV.

The campaign is run under the theme “I Am Responsible, We Are Responsible, South Africa is Taking Responsibility”, which seeks to encourage people to take personal responsibility for their health and HIV status. Each and every citizen should be responsible and collectively, as communities we are responsible and we should:

• Overcome the challenges and barriers to HIV prevention.
• Fight ignorance and complacency related to HIV.
• Increase the awareness about the severity of the epidemic.
• Make sure that HIV prevention services are available to all.
• Prevent stigma and discrimination and support people living with HIV and AIDS.

Through funding from German and South African Governments, the Department of Health in KwaZulu-Natal together with Mpumalanga and Eastern Cape Health Departments benefited through a clinic upgrading programme for improved HCT (formerly VCT) service delivery. Through this programme more than forty clinics throughout the Province have been upgraded over the past few years. The upgrading focused on renovating and adding more HIV counseling rooms to clinics with insufficient rooms. The Department also works with various other sectors outside government towards the provision of HCT services and ensuring that no citizen is unable to access the service.

If we are to win the war of HIV and AIDS, every person must find a role to play for the betterment of our society. People of KwaZulu-Natal come out in your numbers and get tested for HIV. MEC for Health in KwaZulu-Natal, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo said “As a nation we must recognize the epidemic is here, in this Province; for the crisis that it still is. We must implement the programmes that scientific evidence tells us are most effective. We must ensure that those who need effective prevention interventions have access to them and we must come together to intensify efforts and stop this epidemic. For South Africa to turn the tide on HIV and related deaths, KwaZulu-Natal must do even more because it is where the epicenter of the HIV burden is. Together, we have the power to change the course of the HIV epidemic in KwaZulu-Natal”.

Writer: Ms Sebe Zwane

Uhlelo Lokweluleka Nokuhlolela Isandulelangculazi (HCT) Lapha KwaZulu-Natali

Ngenyanga kaEphreli 2010, uHulumeni wa-KwaZulu-Natali wethule uhlelo lokweluleka nokuhlolela iSandulelangculazi ukugqugquzela bonke abantu besiFundazwe ukuba bahlole futhi bazi ngesimo sabo. Ngaloluhlelo uHulumeni waKwaZulu-Natali ngoMnyango wezeMpilo uhlose ukuhlola abantu abangaphezu kwezigidi ezintathu kwisiFundazwe ngesikhathi esiyizinyanga eziyishumi nane.

Lomkhankaso ulandela isimemezelo sikaMongameli waseMzansi Afrika, uMnu. Jacob Zuma asenza ngoSuku Lwengculazi Lomhlaba Jikelele ngonyaka ka-2009, lapho amema zonke izakhamuzi zaseMsanzi Afrika ukuba zibambisane ukulwa nesifo seSandulelangculazi neNgculazi. Ekhuluma nesizwe, uMongameli Zuma usho kanje “Bonke abantu baseMzansi Afrika kumele bathathe izinyathelo ukuqinisekisa ukuthi abatheleleki, ukuthi abatheleli abanye kanye nokuba bazazi isimo sabo. Wonke umuntu kumele athathe isibopho sokuzivikela egciwaneni lengculazi”.

Luchazani uhlelo lwe-HCT kwizakhamuzi za-KwaZulu-Natali?

Loluhlelo luchaza ukuthi sonke isakhamuzi sa-KwaZulu-Natali sinikezwa isidingo nqangi sokwelulekwa nokuhlolelwa iSandulelangculazi kuzo zonke izikhungo zikahulumeni zezempilo kuso sonke isiFundazwe. Akukho sakhamuzi okumele siphume kwisikhungo sezempilo ngaphandle kokwelulekwa nokuhlolelwa iSandulelangculazi.

Lomkhankaso uqhutshwa ngaphansi kwesiqubulo esithi “Ngizibophezele, Sizibophezele, uMzansi Afrika Uzibophezele”, esihlose ukugqugquzela ukuba abantu bazibophezele ngempilo yabo kanye nesimo sabo. Nanoma yisiphi isakhamuzi kumele sizibophezele, bese ngokubambisana siwumphakathi sizibophezele bese:

• Sinqoba izingqinamba ekuvikelweni kweSandulelangculazi.
• Silwa nokungazi okumayelana neSandulelangculazi.
• Sinyusa ulwazi nokuqwashisa mayelana nalesisifo.
• Siqinisekise ukuthi izidingo nqangi zokuvikela zitholwa uwonkewonke.
• Sivimbe ukucwaswa futhi sixhase laba abaphila nesifo seSandulelangculazi neNgculazi.

Ngoxhaso lohulumeni baseJalimane nowaseMzansi Afrika, uMnyango wezeMpilo lapha KwaZulu-Natali kanye neMinyango yezeMpilo yezifundazwe zaseMpumalanga naseMpumalanga Kapa bahlomula ohlelweni lokuphakamisa imitholampilo ukwenza ngcono ukulethwa kwezidingo zokweluleka nokuhlolela iSandulelangculazi. Ngaloluhlelo imitholampilo engaphezu kwamashumi amane lapha esiFundazweni iphakanyisiwe ngokugxila ekuyilungiseni nokwakha amanye amakamelo okululekela abantu kuleyo mitholampilo ebinamakamelo angenele. Umnyango wezeMpilo uphinde usebenze nezinye izinhlaka ezingaphandle kukahulumeni ekulethweni kwezidingo nqangi ze-HCT nokuqinisekisa ukuthi asikho isakhamuzi esingakwazi ukuthola lesidingo nqangi.

Uma sizoyinqoba lempi yeSandulelangculazi neNgculazi, wonke umuntu kumele adlale indima ekwenzeni ngcono imiphakathi yethu. Bantu ba-KwaZulu-Natali phumani ngobuningi benu niyohlolela iSandulelangculazi. Ungqongqoshe wezeMpilo lapha KwaZulu-Natali, uDkt. Sibongiseni Dhlomo usho kanje “Njengesizwe kumele sikuqonde ukuthi lesisifo silapha esiFundazweni. Kumele sibeke izinhlelo ezisebenzayo. Kumele siqinisekise ukuthi labo abadinga izinhlelo zokuzivikela bayazithola futhi sisebenze ngokubambisana ukuvimba lesisifo. Ukuze uMzansi Afrika ujike izinto mayelana neSandulelangculazi nokufa okuhambisana naso, i-KwaZulu-Natali kumele isebenze kakhulu njengoba ihlaselwe yilesisifo. Ngokubambisana, sinamandla okushintsha izinto mayelana nalesisifo lapha KwaZulu-Natali”.

Umbhali: Ms Sebe Zwane

Ungqongqoshe weZempilo KwaZulu-Natali, uDkt Sibongiseni Dhlomo (ophakathi) ekhanyisa ikhandlela lethemba ngesikhathi eseJele laseMgungundlovu, emkhankasweni wokugquqguzela ukweluleka nokuhlolela isandulelangculazi (HCT).

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