CALL FOR A NATIONAL DAY OF COMMUNITY ACTION - 8 AUGUST 2002 (17 July 2002) TREAT HIV/AIDS / PROMOTE OPENNESS / PREVENT NEW INFECTIONS EVERYONE CAN ACT!!! "The magnitude of the HIV/AIDS challenge facing the country calls for a concerted, co-ordinated and co-operative national effort in which government in each of its three spheres and the panoply of resources and skills of civil society are marshalled, inspired and led. This can be achieved only if there is proper communication, especially by government. In order for it to be implemented optimally, a public health programme must be made known effectively to all concerned, down to the district nurse and patients. Indeed, for a public programme such as this to meet the constitutional requirement of reasonableness, its contents must be made known appropriately. "We consider it important that all sectors of the community, in particular civil society, should co-operate in the steps taken to achieve this goal. In our view that will be facilitated by spelling out the steps necessary to comply with the Constitution." Constitutional Court Judgment in the case between the Minister of Health v. TAC. At the COSATU/TAC National Congress in Durban, it was agreed that the 8th of August 2002 would be a day of community action. The purpose of this day is to promote treatment, openness and prevention messages by: * Highlighting the need for antiretroviral pilot treatment programmes * Ensuring that institutions and people have a list of the necessary opportunistic infection medicines needed by their clinics * Campaigning to end stigma and discrimination and encouraging people to go for voluntary counselling and testing * Highlighting clinics in both rural and urban areas which have a lack of resources * Campaigning for wider condom and fermidom distribution and more funding for research into microbicides and vaccines. * Highlighting the need for the implementation of a national HIV/AIDS treatment plan. We envisage dozens, perhaps hundreds of events around the country, ranging in size from as small as two people to as large as 500. The idea is not to have a few large events but many events and activities everywhere, irrespective of their size. TAC will only be responsible for a small number of these. We invite all organisations and individuals to plan their own events and to send us the details. TAC will advertise events for 8 August on our website (www.tac.org.za), via this email list and via the media. The TAC provincial offices in Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town and East London will also keep a list of events and offer advice and possibly assistance to organisations (see contact details below) upon request. WHY DO WE NEED A DAY OF COMMUNITY ACTION? TREAT HIV/AIDS! IMPLEMENT A TREATMENT PLAN About 300,000 people will die of AIDS in South Africa this year. Most of these deaths could be prevented if people with HIV had access to antiretroviral treatment and adequate care for their opportunistic infections (OIs). However, antiretroviral treatment is unavailable in the public sector and unaffordable for most South Africans in the private sector. As a result the burden of the HIV epidemic on the public health-care system is so great that many people do not receive adequate treatment for their OIs. Some essential medicines for treating OIs are unavailable at many public health facilities, such as acyclovir for treating herpes and fluconazole for treating systemic thrush and cryptococcal meningitis. The HIV epidemic will adversely effect the number of orphans, life-expectancy, human capital (such as teachers and nurses), the health-care system and the life and dignity of millions of South Africans, especially poor people. By investing in the health-care system, improving accessibility to essential OI medicines, campaigning for lower medicine prices and beginning pilot antiretroviral treatment programmes in all provinces, we can begin to reverse the devastation of the HIV epidemic. PROMOTE OPENNESS -- END STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION NOW! Most people with HIV do not know their status or do not disclose it because of the stigma and discrimination associated with the disease. This discrimination frequently occurs in the work place, at school, at home and from insurance companies. HIV is seen by many as a death sentence. Therefore most people at risk of infection do not undergo voluntary counselling and testing because of the perception that nothing can be done once one's postive status is determined. The lack of treatment and support for people with HIV perpetuates the notion that the disease is a death sentence; this leads to discrimination and stigmatisation. Studies have shown that voluntary counselling and testing help to reduce the spread of the epidemic, demonstrating that prevention and treatment are complementary. To promote voluntary counselling and testing and greater openness about HIV/AIDS, the stigma and discrimination associated with the disease must be ended. PREVENT NEW INFECTIONS South Africa has approximately 5 million people living with HIV. In order to reduce new infections the distribution of condoms and fermidoms must be improved and clear messages on prevention need to be spread. More research needs to go into developing microbicides and vaccines. Critically, all school students should have access to life-skills and sex education. The call for community activism is echoed by the Cabinet Statement of 17 April which states "Cabinet emphasised the commitment of government to treatment and management of opportunistic infections. No South African should be sent away and not treated irrespective of their HIV status. Given the critical importance of drugs dealing with infections such as meningitis, oral thrush, TB and pneumonia, Cabinet urged the public, especially People Living with AIDS, to assist government in monitoring their availability." More than ever, all sectors of South African society, including government, civil society, religious organisations, the private sector and unions, need to work together to combat the HIV epidemic. Everyone of us can do our share by volunteering. Organise and participate in the community day of action on 8 August. Vuku zenzele! The types of activities that are envisaged include (but are not limited to): 1. Peak hour (during the morning and evening) pickets, condom and leaflet distribution at stations, taxi ranks and bus ranks 2. Clinic visits to distribute leaflets and raise awareness, or to show treatment literacy videos 3. Cleaning, painting and mural painting events at clinics and hospitals, organised with the clinic/hospital superintendant's permission 4. Pickets with nurses and other health care workers during lunchtime 5. School-based programmes or leafleting at schools during breaks or at the end of the day. 6. Local township-based religious services which spread messages of tolerance, openness and treatment 7. Visit local radio stations and give interviews about HIV related issues 8. Shopping centre or local market leafleting g. Workplace HIV/AIDS programmes that take place during lunch-breaks 10. Producing and wearing HIV-positive t-shirts 11. Write letters to newspapers Please plan events and send the details by email (info@tac.org.za) or fax (021 788 3726) to the TAC National Office. Please include (1) time of event, (2) venue, (3) town/city/province, (4) short description of event, (5) contact person with contact details. TAC Contact Details: NATIONAL: PO Box 74, Nonkqubela 7793. Tel: 021-788 3507 Fax: 021-788 3726 (Contact: Nathan, Sipho, Nonkosi or Sue) GAUTENG: PO Box 31104, Braamfontein 2017. Tel: 011-339 8421 Fax: 011-403 1932 (Contact: Pholokgolo, Lefa or Nomsa) KZN: Unit A, 3rd Floor, Doone House, 379 Smith Street, Durban 4001. Tel: 031-304 3673 Fax: 031-304 9743 (Contact: Sizwe, Desmond, Thabo or Dee) WESTERN CAPE: Town One Properties, Sulami Drive, Site B, Khayelitsha. Tel: 021-364 5489 Fax: 021-361 7051 (Contact: Mandla, Thembeka, Nomfundo or Nondumisa) EASTERN CAPE: PO Box 1103 East London 5200. Tel: 043-760 0050 Fax: 043-760 3135 (Contact: Ivy, Portia) EMAIL: info@tac.org.za WEBSITE: http://ww.tac.org.za