By Karen Pretorius

PEOPLE from across the country today converged in Athlone Stadium today to commemorate World Aids Day. The day is celebrated under the theme "South African caring together for Women and Children".

Speaking at the event, Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang said the focus this year was especially on women and children. Dr Tshabalala-Msimang said the disease had a devastating effect on this group. "Children are more vulnerable to diseases and trauma as they do not have the means and capabilities to protect themselves," she explained, adding that some social conditions made women susceptible to disease and violence.

To improve the health of South Africans, she said stakeholders such as community health workers and activists should be brought on board to work with government. For its part, she said government would increase funding for NGOs and CBOs to R50 million in the next financial year, to help the organisations support government's work in the battle against HIV and Aids.

In other work in this regard, she said progress had been made in implementing government's response to HIV and Aids, including prevention, care, support and treatment. The minister added that the messages of prevention were also "getting through".

"We are beginning to see a stabilisation of the HIV rate, particularly among the youth. Minister Tshabalala-Msimang said 19 500 people had received antiretroviral therapy by October this year, with treatment available in 50 of the country's 53 districts. "We have to create a favourable environment for those who are affected by this challenge," she requested.

Speaking at the same event, Deputy President Jacob Zuma said women were still made vulnerable by men's greater economic and social power, which impacted on personal relationships. "Due to this socio-economic dependence on men, many women are left with little or no control over their exposure to the virus," said the Deputy President.

Zuma said that commemorating this day during the 16 Days of Activism for no Violence Against Women and Children campaign, could not have come at a better time, as the campaign was significant to the fight against Aids. "... as fear of physical violence or emotional and psychological abuse from their partners may be one of the factors which make it difficult for women to insist on the use of condoms to protect themselves from infection," the Deputy President said.

Therefore, he said, the question of women emancipation continued to be paramount. He said it was for this reason government was intensifying the fight against poverty, to improve the living conditions of people in an integrated and "comprehensive" manner. "Many people living with HIV and Aids cannot act on the messages of ensuring a good nutrition or taking medication with meals, as they do not know where their next meal will come from."

He alluded to the boosting of the second economy from which the majority of the population earned their living; including short-term interventions such as social grants, agricultural and home-based care programmes. While government would continue to play its role, he urged citizens to rededicate themselves to the fight against Aids, and to take HIV and Aids messages seriously.

"The messages should begin to enlist action on a wider scale, and a change in lifestyles and behaviour," he added, saying it ought to start with an acknowledgement and acceptance that anyone could contract HIV. "It does not discriminate in terms of gender, geographical location, the length of a relationship with a particular partner, the social status of the partner and so forth," he explained and paid tribute to all those working together to offer support and care to the needy.
Source: - BuaNews