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WSU’s Vice-Chancellor
tackles HIV/Aids hands on
FOLLOWING the announcement
of the recent national survey of HIV prevalence at higher education institutions
by Higher Education and Training Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande, Walter Sisulu
University saw it fit to be at the forefront of charge.
A student-packed Auditorium at the Nelson Mandela Drive Site saw Walter
Sisulu University’s Institutional Student Representatives (ISRC) and Centre
for HIV/Aids (CHA) collaborate in launching the Graduate Alive Campaign
and HIV Free Friday on July 19.
The launch of these campaigns looks to ‘demystify the HIV pandemic and
make a concerted effort to publicise and implement the importance of HIV
testing’ to staff, students and communities. Also the new initiative,
‘HIV Free Friday’, will have students and staff given T-shirts upon testing.
The T-shirts will carry a positive HIV/Aids message and it hopes to build
on the hype created by the World Cup Football Fridays.
New Start, the Department of Health and surrounding district municipalities
also attended the launch to support WSU in the fight against HIV/Aids.
“The country needs a model like WSU where there isn’t only the condom
approach but also the effort to change people’s attitudes towards healthy
living and away from recklessness when it comes to sexuality”, said Patco
Mafani, Radio Personality and Programme Director.
HIV, Diabetes, Blood Pressure and TB were amongst the illnesses that WSU
student nurses assisted, by New Start, tested on those who volunteered.
ISRC President Andile Majeke said that that they expected to test 5000
people within WSU campuses and that once testing was complete, proper
and confidential counselling would be carried out. CHA, Human Resources
and Campus Health Services have support systems in place to help with
the monitoring of people’s conditions.
Professor Marcus Balintulo, WSU Vice-Chancellor, urged the WSU community
to take responsibility by testing as knowing one’s status is the first
step in challenging and conquering the HIV enemy.
The centre advocates healthy living and healthy states of mind as an effective
way to fight the virus. “People must work on accepting their status and
have a positive attitude because denial causes depression and this leads
to a crash of the immune system. This shortens a person’s life,” advised
Twaise.
“People are surprised to learn that HIV does not need vigorous management
if one can do the basics right.” She pointed out that of paramount importance
is the need to avoid re-infection. HIV positive people need to insist
on using protection with their HIV positive partners as re-infection is
incredibly detrimental and creates more problems in one’s immune system.
She also addressed the issue of condoms that are said to not be 100% safe.
“If we say they are 99% safe, the one percent is due to human error. When
using a condom make sure it has not expired, it has lubrication, do not
use your teeth to open the cover, ensure that there is no air at the tip
of the condom and condomise all the time, ,” she informed.
Among other issues that were dealt with during the four-day launch are
stereotypes and blasé attitudes such as testing by proxy. CHA is
working on creating a platform for dialogue in order to discover other
social aspects that hinder the success of HIV/Aids education. Twaise agreed
that at the top of the list, campaigns about HIV/Aids should cease to
be generic, and that they must convey audience specific messages.
The Graduate Alive Campaign and HIV Free Friday initiatives were launched
at all WSU Campuses during the week of the 19-23 July.
By Oyanga Ngalika and Khuthala Nandipha
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