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On 18 August, an organisation called Anova Health Institute visited the Palm Springs landfill site (in Evaton, south of Johannesburg) to provide voluntary HIV/AIDS testing for drug addicts that live around the area. They also gave them new needles to help stop addicts from using and sharing the same needles as this leads to exchanging blood.
This programme uses the 90-90-90 strategy (introduced by the United Nations), which is simply means 90% of people who are HIV infected will be diagnosed, 90% of people who are diagnosed will be on antiretroviral treatment and 90% of those who receive antiretrovirals will be virally suppressed.
The Anova team work to stop the spread of HIV and AIDS by educating about safe needle use and providing clean, new needles. In order to receive treatment you need to pass the clinical team of doctors, nurses and social auxiliary workers.
The team leader and coordinator for the Sedibeng region in Gauteng is Tshepo Sefome, who said they also provide methadone to addicts in order to prevent cramps and other withdrawal symptoms.
This article was submitted on 21 August 2020. You may republish this article, so long as you credit the authors and Karibu! Online (www.Karibu.org.za), and do not change the text. Please include a link back to the original article.
