Aids case studies shed light
26 August 2003
The weighty collection of HIV/Aids case studies released last month by the Department of Social Development sheds much-needed light on the "do's and don'ts" for the many programmes working to stem the tide of the epidemic in the country.
The department commissioned research on a total of 14 projects, both rural and urban based, small and medium-sized, with a view to compiling the best models in the treatment and prevention of HIV/Aids.
The report, Volume One: HIV/Aids case studies in South Africa, identifies those factors critical for success, and gives pointers for all those working in the field of Aids prevention.
Speaking at the launch of the report, Social Development Minister Zola Skweyiya described the HIV/Aids epidemic as "the most urgent development challenge faced by South Africa, [one requiring] new vision, new ideas and new policy development in order to face the multiple socio-economic challenges".
Of the estimated 42
million people infected with HIV around the world, 70% are from Africa and one-third are young people between 10 and 24 years old. South Africa is experiencing one of the fastest growth rates of HIV infections in the world. Whereas in 1990, one percent of women tested at anti-natal clinics were HIV-positive, that figure had risen to 25% in 2000.
South Africa is already experiencing a diminished labour skills pool on the one hand, and growing numbers of Aids orphans on the other. Commented Skweyiya: "The impact is being felt by millions of individuals and households, business, organisations and government. It robs children of their childhood and forces them to assume adult responsibilities.
"There are 16.3 million children in South Africa, of which two-thirds live below the poverty line, and one-fifth of children do not live with their mothers. Children who are born HIV-positive or who have lost one or both parents due to HIV/Aids are among the most exposed of all. They
are often at greater risk of illness, abuse and sexual exploitation than children orphaned by other causes."
Despite the enormity of the challenges, there are many positive interventions and lessons of good practice for others in the field to emulate. The minister noted some of the following as important features for Aids programmes.
- An integrated approach that addresses poverty, gender inequality, gender-based violence and reproductive health and rights.
- Capacity-building and training that strengthen the interventions of organisations.
- HIV/Aids programmes that target specific groups, eg. young people, soldiers, prisoners.
- More resources for rural areas, without taking resources from urban areas.
- The involvement of religious organisations to extend the reach of programmes into communities.
- Proper surveillance efforts that monitor and track the epidemic.
- More education and communication to change sexual behaviour, create
community support and remove the stigma associated with HIV/Aids.
- More resources for home-based care to cater for the growing number of people living with Aids, particularly in rural areas.
- Including a life skills and job creation element in programmes to help alleviate poverty of those affected.
The following programmes were among the 14 analysed:
Ethembeni Care Centre - KwaZulu Natal
The programme is an example of industries joining forces to provide a service to employees - an aids care training and support initiative. The Ethembeni Care Centre was established after collaboration between the Zululand Chamber of Business Foundation and six prominent Richards Bay industries. The centre is a bridge between clinics, hospitals and home, offering medical, counselling and support services for those affected by Aids. It provides HIV/Aids awareness and prevention programmes in schools and communities, as well as running management
and treatment workshops. A food garden programme enables communities to establish their own food gardens.
Contact: Jenny Rogers
Tel: (035) 795-9240
Lubombo Spatial Development Initiative
This is one of 12 spatial development initiatives, part of a government strategy to increase local and international investments in areas with economic potential, partly by empowering local communities. The HIV/Aids education programme, spearheaded by the Women’s Health Project locates Aids in the context of sexual rights and reproductive health. The Women’s Health Project argues that unless the powerless position of women in sexual relations is addressed, the soaring rate of HIV-infection among women in particular will not be reversed. The three-year-programme is funded by the department of social development.
I Have Hope Peer Group Project (Old Mutual)
This project is one component of a broader programme
funded by Old Mutual and was conceptualised by Christo Greyling, who is living with Aids himself. The programme, which targets all secondary school learners throughout the country, runs workshops with peer leaders who are then motivated to become Aids ambassadors in their schools and communities. The primary aim is to encourage people to take responsibility for their own sexual health and to develop positive attitudes towards those living with Aids. Research shows that the project has a significant effect on learners' knowledge about and attitudes towards HIV/Aids.
Contact: Desiree Wait
or Christo Greyling
Belabela Welfare Society’s HIV/Aids Prevention Group
The initiative began in the Warmbaths area in the Northern Province, where surveys showed that most secondary school learners – and many from as young as 11 years old - were sexually active. The
project gives extensive training to volunteer counsellors who then run awareness workshops in schools and community groups. At the workshops, participants are encouraged to go for testing. They are also addressed by people who themselves are living with Aids. The programme also offers extensive care and support in the form of counselling, food parcels, transport, etc for people afflicted by Aids.
Contact: Cecile Manhaeve
Tel/fax: (014) 736-3054
Takalani HIV/Aids Resource Centre
The Takalani HIV/Aids Resource Centre’s major activities focus on creating awareness around Aids, mobilising the community and attempting to change attitudes towards the disease. The centre also puts emphasis on care and support for those already infected. The resource centre runs HIV/Aids education programmes, life skills programmes and youth leadership skills programmes. It uses community workshops, radio talk shows,
face-to-face contact, road shows and print campaigns to spread its messages. There is widespread knowledge about the initiative in Aliwal North.
Contact: Sandile G Jonas
Tel: (051) 634-2425
National Adolescent-Friendly Clinic Initiative
This five-year project started in 1999 and is due to be completed in 2004. It is led by Wits University's Reproductive Health Research Unit, based at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital. The project, run at 10 clinics in four provinces, aims to meet adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health needs, prevent the infection of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, provide HIV/Aids testing and counselling as well as care and support services. The project is an integral part of loveLife, a multi-dimensional sexual health programme targeting youth. The National Adolescent-Friendly Clinic Initiative aims to make public health clinics more responsive to the needs of adolescents. Other project partners
include the Planned Parenthood Association of South Africa, the Health System Development Unite and the Health System Trust. The Kaiser Foundation, USAid and Department of International Development fund the project.
Contact: Reproductive Health Research Unit
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