Pretoria – Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister Mduduzi Manana on Friday took the First Things First HIV/Tuberculosis/Sexually Transmitted Infections and general health and wellness programme for students to the King Sabata Dalindyebo College, in Mthatha.
The programme, now in its fifth year, encourages students to know their HIV status and screen themselves for and treat STIs and TB.
The drive is being activated across 429 campuses within all public technical vocational education and training colleges (TVETs) and universities, to reach out to a student population of two million. The initiative will also benefit their families and the broader community.
“Every day, more than 1000 new HIV infections occur in South Africa. Most are among young people – the very foundation of our country’s future – and most are among young women.
“We have no higher priority today than to close the tap on new infections. We must do all we can to treat and support people living with HIV and AIDS – but we cannot treat our way out of this epidemic,” Deputy Minister Manana said on Friday.
Over half of the world’s young population infected with HIV lives in Eastern and Southern Africa. The Eastern Cape had a prevalence rate of 29.3% in 2011, while the Northern Cape (17%) and Western Cape (18.2%) were the only provinces with rates below 20%.
The same most-at-risk group has also been decreasing the use of condoms which increases the risk of HIV infection.
The Deputy Minister called for strengthening and combining efforts to prevent HIV, STIs and TB.
He made the link between the health of students and the higher education and training sector’s throughput of graduates.
“Healthy and productive graduates are a cornerstone of a healthy economy. Universities and colleges provide the ideal environment within which to improve knowledge about HIV, other STIs and TB and to promote testing and other services to protect and care for young people,” he said.
During the event, government tested for HIV and screened students for TB and STIs. The participants and guests also discussed health more broadly, including social, behavioural and gender issues that affect health-seeking behaviour.
Higher Education and Training HIV/AIDS Programme (HEAIDS) Director Dr Ramneek Ahluwalia, said last year, the First Things First drive helped over 100 000 young people learn their HIV status and use this as a stepping stone for protecting their health.
“HEAIDS provides a comprehensive programme targeting young South Africans at this crucial stage in their sexual development. HEAIDS objectives remain to provide South Africa with a healthy next generation of labour to ensure national economic sustainability,” Ahluwalia said. – SAnews.gov.za
