The City's portfolio head for health, Matshidiso Mfikoe, meets Guangxi province vice mayor, Cheng Li Qing (Photo: Enoch Lehung, City of Johannesburg)

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Mayoral committee member for health, Matshidiso Mfikoe, listens as translator Calvin Zhang explains a point to the delegation from Guangxi province (Photo: Enoch Lehung, City of Johannesburg)

Chinese visitors address health challenges Sharing information about how to tackle public health issues, a delegation from China has spent time with officials from Johannesburg's health department. September 7, 2006 By Anish Abraham JOBURG continues to build relationships with governments across the world, hosting international visitors interested in how the City works. The latest delegation to Johannesburg travelled from Guangxi province in China on a mission to learn more about the City's health systems. Senior City officials hosted the 15-member delegation, including vice mayor Cheng Li Qing of the Guangxi provincial government, at the JIKE Information Centre, on 6 September. Among the Joburg officials at the meeting were the mayoral committee member for health, Matshidiso Mfikoe; the executive director of the City's health, Dr Refik Bismilla; and several other of the department's deputy directors. Mfikoe said the visit was a great way to learn about challenges to urban health systems in the face of globalisation and increased migration. "We have to build constructive partnerships to improve the lives of the communities that we serve," she said. Rashid Seedat, from the office of the City manager, gave an overview of the City and its structures, outlining key initiatives taken by Joburg to address challenges such as population growth. "Our problems include the rapid growth of the City's population and a huge increase in the number of households. We help out through subsidised services to the poor, improving health care and engaging in urban renewal programmes," he said. Health services in the City Dr Baski Desai, deputy director for public health, spoke about the reproductive health services offered within the City, and the programmes set up to promote such services. He said the City had tackle the issue holistically, including contraceptive services, prenatal and women's health services, child and adolescent health services and services to deal with HIV/Aids and sexually transmitted infections. Using slides, he illustrated that contraceptive use increased with higher levels of education, and that City facilities offer a wide variety of contraceptive choices. These vary from provision of male and female condoms, to sterilisation and natural family planning methods. "We aim to improve access to contraceptive services and improve knowledge of the public's rights to contraceptive services and methods. It is South African policy," Desai said. The pandemic that has left no nation unaffected was next on the agenda, and Meisie Lerutla, deputy director of the HIV/Aids unit outlined the situation in Johannesburg. The City has committed itself to improve the lives of those affected by the virus, in communities and among its own staff, through prevention, care and support programmes, while anti-retroviral drugs are provided in hospitals, community health centres and in some clinics. Lerutla also told the Chinese delegation about the City's free voluntary counselling and improved testing services, which can relate one's HIV status after about half an hour. The Guangxi officials asked questions and commented on the presentations. They were pleased to hear that primary clinics offer free services, even to residents from outside Johannesburg, Gauteng or even South Africa. Thanking the Joburg representatives, Qing raised a few chuckles when he announced that his province has a population of 47 million - higher than that of the whole of South Africa. On a more serious note, Qing added: "The prevention of Aids is a major issue in all parts of the world." He said their government provides free treatment, while also rolling out more educational awareness programmes right from primary school level. "We have to improve the standard of life as well as that of health care services," he said. 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