18 November 2004 Press Release MEDIA STATEMENT BY THE EXECUTIVE MAYOR OF JOHANNESBURG, COUNCILLOR AMOS MASONDO, AT THE LAUNCH OF THE JOHANNESBURG AIDS CAMPAIGN, NOVEMBER 17, 2004 - REGINA MUNDI, SOWETO. Today we launch the City of Johannesburg's HIV and AIDS awareness campaign under the theme 'Respect our Women and Protect our Children' and 'Youth can win against AIDS'. This campaign is part of our ongoing efforts to contain the spread of HIV and AIDS. The fight against the HIV and AIDS epidemic is a mayoral priority in the City of Johannesburg. Our approach is informed by the need for Openness, Prevention and Care for the affected and infected and working in Partnerships with organizations of civil society including faith bases organizations and the private sector. This campaign is aimed at mobilizing the public to get involved in this fight and to increase an understanding about HIV and AIDS. We also want to highlight the services that are available to communities so as to increase the level of usage of these services. As part of our preventative services, the City of Johannesburg provides Voluntary Counseling and Testing at all of our 70 fixed health care facilities. Of these, 53 also provide rapid on site HIV testing. We are aiming by June 2005 to provide this service at all the City's 70 health care facilities. Our mobile clinics service areas that are situated far from fixed health facilities on a weekly basis. In partnership with other role players, the City of Johannesburg runs a commercial sex workers outreach programme together with the Reproductive Health Research Unit in Hillbrow and Hope World Wide in the Randburg Central Business District. In addition, we provide Community Care and Support for people living with HIV and AIDS. This is done through support groups, which operate from Council clinics. Further, people affected and infected receive peer counseling and food parcels. Our Mpilonhle Mpilonde project, which targets hostel residents in the inner city helps to educate men on ways to protect themselves and their partners against HIV and AIDS. The City of Johannesburg in partnership with the City of Paris runs the Vusabantu project and provides Voluntary Counseling and Testing at our Jabavu Clinic in Soweto. Discussions are under with Gauteng Provincial Government to provide Antiretroviral Treatment at this facility. In the past two years the Johannesburg Aids Council has promoted networks and partnerships with a variety of civil society organizations and academic institutions. Our work has centred on HIV and AIDS campaigns including the preparations for World Aids Day. As part of our ongoing fight against HIV and AIDS, 2900 volunteers recruited in 2003 will go on a five-day door- to- door campaign in all of Johannesburg's 11 Regions. The campaign we are launching today will kick off on November 29 and go on until December 3, 2004. The volunteers are trained on how to provide relevant information, counseling, HIV testing and on Anti Retroviral treatment services. They also work in a way so as to educate members of the community on adherence and completion of treatment especially for Tuberculosis patients. I am sure you are all aware of the close correlation between HIV and AIDS and TB. We urge the public to effectively interact with the volunteers. Let us support the people who are infected and affected by this disease. Let us fight prejudice and the discrimination, which targets people living with HIV and AIDS. We also want to stress that prevention is still the best weapon available at this stage. To the youth, who are our future, we say 'the Youth can win against AIDS'. Let us take all the necessary steps to prevent the spread of this disease and to those who are HIV negative lets take all the necessary care to remain HIV negative. For more information: Zandile Nkuta Spokesperson for the Executive Mayor City of Johannesburg Tel: 011 407 7524/Mob: 082 464 9449