The initiative to target first-year students for HIV/AIDS Counselling and Testing (HCT) on campuses around the country, as recently announced by the Minister of Health, is rolling out on the Rhodes campus from 14 to 18 February.
Colourful banners, tents and two white mobile clinic vans mark the spot on Bicycle Lawn where it’s all happening. Called the “First Things First” campaign, the focus is on screening first year students for HIV/AIDS and TB, although any student or staff member is welcome to participate and certain other tests are also done if time allows, e.g. blood pressure and cholesterol.
There are some serious incentives on offer for first years – the main prize is a Toyota Yaris, which one student in South Africa will win, while there are also a range of other prizes for each campus. All first year students getting tested receive a free “goodie bag”: a red drawstring bag, emblazoned with the campaign logo, which contains a CD, information brochures, two condoms and a red bracelet.
On Rhodes campus, the main link person has been Dr Colleen Vassiliou, Head of the Counselling Centre, but the SRC and the Health Care Centre (HCC) have also been assisting. The HCC have provided additional nursing staff, as the site has been experiencing shortages, and will also be providing additional testing kits if necessary. Representatives of the SRC have been on duty at the site to help give information and direct matters.
The First things first campaign has been endorsed by the Ministries of Health and Higher Education and forms part of government’s HIV Counselling and Testing (HCT) campaign. It is a collaborative effort between the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC), Innovative Medicines of South Africa (IMSA), its member companies, the Foundation for Professional Development (FPD), the Departments of Health and Higher Education, the Higher Education HIV and AIDS Programme (HEAIDS), Higher Education South Africa (HESA) along with partners in the US President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR). IMSA is a South African pharmaceutical industry association which promotes the value of medicine innovation in healthcare.
At the official launch of the campaign in Johannesburg on Valentine’s Day, the Minister of Health said, ”We chose to reach out to students as they are our future leaders who can enable positive change in society.”
The target for the national campaign is 36 000 students in the space of about three weeks, and the organisers hope for at least a 60% response from first years on each campus. According to site manager Mr Nic Groenewald of the FPD, the response so far by Rhodes students has been very positive and the site has been busy. Pre- and post counselling is offered, and all relevant cases are referred to the HCC for follow-up.
The campaign was made possible when the rules of engagement for HIV testing changed, enabling large groups of people to be counselled and tested. The FPD has led partners in training 250 staff who are now able to test students on an ongoing basis, ensuring a lasting legacy of testing in tertiary institutions beyond the life of the campaign.
Sister Heather Ferreira of the HCC says they are definitely planning to follow up this initiative with more campaigns on Rhodes campus. While high-profile testing drives are not necessarily successful in curbing the disease, she says they do draw in the numbers and are of course an important step in the process.
Looking to the future, the Deputy Minister of Education said at the press conference, “We are hoping this exercise will become an annual event in the Orientation Programmes of South Africa’s universities.”