City educates youth about their health

28 September 2017

 

It was a day of health checks all around as adults and children converged on the 80 Albert Street Clinic to establish their state of health and take preventative measures this week.

 

The Family Wellness Day on Wednesday 27 September was organised by the City of Johannesburg’s Health Department in partnership with various stakeholders and it attracted a variety of colourful participants.

The City’s partners included Community Aids Response (CARE), Wits Reproductive Health Institute (WRHI), Barnetts, Metropolitan, Traditional Healers Association and students from Jeppe College.

Isaac Morake, the City’s Operations Manager at 80 Albert Clinic, said the awareness campaign was aimed at educating adolescents and the youth. He also said the clinic was doing well with testing adults for HIV, however the challenge was with testing the youth.

Ashley from CARE said it provided HIV prevention, support and care. “We aim at increasing testing rate and to find children that are positive who haven’t been tested to test them and put them on treatment at the early stage.”

Dolly Sekwakwa from WRHI, which coordinates a peadiatric and adolescent project (children from 0 months to 19 years), said its primary objective was to advocate for children to be tested and to increase HIV management in the clinics, particularly in Region F facilities.

“We want to align the Department of Heath strategy, which looks at diagnosing children who are living with HIV to be tested and knowing their status, give treatment and also monitor them. We urge parents to bring kids to the clinics,” said Sekwakwa.

Dora Ramogobeng, also from WRHI, said it also promotes health services to young people age 20years to 24 years because they are afraid to be tested. “We give health talks, dialogues and testing. We also provide adolescent youth friendly services in Region F clinics,” said Ramogobeng.