City and its partners take healthcare services to men

17 February 2017

 

The City of Johannesburg’s Health Department, in partnership with various service providers and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), visited residents of Wolhuter Men’s Hostel in Jeppe, Region F, on Thursday February 16 to provide them with vital healthcare information and services.

 

The visit was part of the City’s STI-Condom Week, during which it distributed more than eight million condoms to several parts of Johannesburg.

The City’s partners in the campaign included MES Impilo, iJozi iHlomile HAST, Sonke Gender Justice Network and Wits Reproductive Health and Testing Institute. The services they provided included tuberculosis, high blood pressure and glucose screening and HIV-Aids testing.

Jabu Tshabalala, Operations Manager in the City’s Health Department, said the visit to the male hostel was about taking healthcare services and information to men.

“If you go to clinics the people you will find there are mostly women. Men generally don’t go to clinics. We thought we should bring our services to men. The feedback has been positive. The men appreciate what we are doing. Our teams have been busy since we arrived here,” said Tshabalala.

Vital Kabamba, a Senior Trainer at the Sonke Gender Justice Network – an NGO that works in communities to address gender-based violence and the spread and impact of HIV-Aids, among other social ills – said the main aim was to engage men.

“We have come to the hostel because our focus is men and boys. Through such forums men are mobilised. Men are generally the main perpetrators of gender-based violence. We engage and invite them to attend some of our workshops,” said Kabamba.

While this was taking place, community healthcare workers conducted door-to-door visits in the hostel.

STI-Condom Week, observed from February Monday February 13 to Friday February 17, was part of this year’s national Reproductive Health Month. During the campaign, Johannesburg residents were educated on the importance of practising safe sex and consistent condom use to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV.

The City distributed more than 33.6 million condoms to targeted parts of Johannesburg during the 2015-2016 financial year.