Pretoria - Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi will on Monday officially launch a voluntary HIV testing, counselling and education campaign aimed at first year students in universities across the country.
The "First Things First" campaign to be launched at the Wits Medical School, is a collaborative effort between the South African National Aids Council, Innovative Medicines of South Africa, Foundation for Professional Development, Departments of Health and Higher Education and the US President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR).
Health Department spokesperson Fidel Hadebe explained that the short-term objective of the campaign is to test 35 000 first-year students by March 2011.
"The Foundation for Professional Development has facilitated the training of 250 staff members who are now able to test students on an ongoing basis ensuring a lasting legacy of testing in tertiary institutions beyond the campaign life," Hadebe said.
The voluntary HIV, Counselling and Testing (HCT) campaign is also expected to be rolled out at high schools soon and tests will be performed in private spaces on school premises during weekends and school holidays.
The Ministries of Health and Basic Education will in due course outline to the nation the full details of the schools-based HCT campaign.
The national HCT campaign was launched in April last year as part of promoting the culture of HCT and de-stigmatise HIV and Aids.
Since the campaign launch, more than five million people have been tested - the campaign aims to get 15 million tested by June 2011.
