The City is stepping up the battle against HIV / Aids by providing Voluntary Testing and Counselling to people in hostels and informal settlements

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City takes HIV testing to the people Following the world Aids conference earlier this year, the City has set up an outreach programme to take voluntary counselling and testing services to hostels and informal settlements. October 20, 2006 By Thabang Mokoka AN outreach programme is targeting informal settlements and hostels in a bid to promote voluntary counselling and testing for HIV/Aids. Driven by the City's health department, the Voluntary HIV Counselling and Testing (VCT) Outreach Campaign is a means of urging people to be tested for HIV. It also offers counselling. The campaign grew out of the Toronto International Aids conference earlier this year, which the department attended. According to Nkosinathi Nkabinde, the department's communications officer, it was important for the City to interpret the conference theme "Time to Deliver" in terms of what it can deliver. "It was motivated to role players that the 'delivery' begin with the VCT project, as a vehicle through which people can access available services like anti-retrovirals, or ARVs." Supported by Right to Care, a non-governmental organisation that works in partnership with the City to ensure that more people know their HIV status, the project is aimed at communities perceived to have less access to information and services on HIV and Aids, like informal settlements and hostels. "Many people who need ARVs are not yet on the programme, either due to not knowing their HIV status, ignorance, denial or issues of access," Nkabinde said. The campaign kicked off at Denver Hostel on Tuesday, 3 October. It visited Alexandra's Alex Female Hostel and Madala Hostel on 18 October. Meisie Lerutla, the deputy director: HIV and Aids, said that being tested for HIV, even though you might not be sick, would give you the opportunity to get information on HIV and Aids, help us to understand what VCT was and how it could benefit you. Those found to be HIV-positive would be able to get appropriate services and assistance in time. Through the project, communities will get information on HIV and Aids and tuberculosis, or TB; and will be able to be tested for HIV without having to travel to clinics. People identified through this outreach campaign as needing other health and social services, like anti-retroviral treatment, are referred to service providers, reads a press statement. Outreach visits: Devland informal settlement – Friday, 20 October Kliptown informal settlement – Friday, 20 October Finetown – Tuesday, 24 October Themba Khoza informal settlement – Wednesday, 25 October Permission to use web site material Publishers may use material from this site free of charge, as long as: Credit is given to either the "City of Johannesburg website (www.joburg.org.za)" or to "Johannesburg News Agency (www.joburg.org.za)"; If the article is used online, a link is provided to the original article on this website; The name of the article's author is acknowledged; The webmaster is informed of how and where the material is used (fill in this brief online form). Johannesburg News Agency is operated by BIG Media at 011-484-1400 Print this Page E-mail this article to a friend Help using Joburg.org.za