Regina Mundi church in Soweto, Johannesburg, was on Wednesday packed with 3Â 000 volunteers and officials when the City of Johannesburg launched its World Aids Day 2004 campaign.
“Prevention is still the best weapon available at this stage,” mayor Amos Masondo said.
The campaign has two themes: Respect Our Women and Protect our Children and Youth Can Win against Aids.
“We chose to have two themes because we want to target two different groups,” Zandile Nkuta, spokesperson for the mayor, told the Mail & Guardian Online.
“On the one hand, we are targeting the most vulnerable group in society, the women and the children, and on the other hand we want to address the youth, who are the hope for the future.
“The campaign aimed at women and children wants to create openness around the disease and destigmatise infected people, but education is also a part of it.”
The Mpilonhle Mpilonde project, which is part of the campaign, educates men living in inner-city hostels on ways to protect themselves and their partners against HIV and Aids.
“These migrant workers often have a wife at home and a lover in the city. Because women mostly are not in the position to negotiate safe sex with their partners, it is important to educate these men. In that way we hope to help the women,” Nkuta said.
Youth and volunteers
The youth campaign is mainly aimed at prevention and education. The mayor stressed that prevention is still the best weapon.
“To the youth, who are our future, we say: ‘Youth can win against Aids.’ Let us take all the necessary steps to prevent the spread of this disease, and to those who are HIV-negative, let’s take all the necessary care to remain HIV-negative,” Masondo said at the launch.
“The fight against the HIV and Aids epidemic is a mayoral priority in the City of Johannesburg. Our approach is informed by the need for openness, prevention and care for the affected and infected,” the mayor added.
In 2003, the city recruited 2Â 900 volunteers who will now embark on a five day door-to-door campaign in all 11 regions in the city. This campaign will run from November 29 to December 3.
The volunteers are trained to provide information about the disease, counselling, HIV testing and anti-retroviral treatment services.
“We urge the public to effectively interact with the volunteers. Let us support the people who are infected and affected by this disease. Let us fight prejudice and discrimination, which targets people living with HIV and Aids,” Masondo said.
Clinics
The City of Johannesburg currently has 70 fixed clinics that are providing voluntary counselling and free testing. In 53 of these clinics, a rapid, on-site HIV test is already available.
“We are aiming by June 2005 to provide this rapid, on-the-spot testing service at all the city’s 70 fixed clinics,” the mayor said.
Remote areas are serviced by mobile clinics.
After the launch of the campaign, the mayor opened a new clinic in Protea South in Soweto.