Sedibeng District Relaunches AIDS Council

11 December 2024, Vereeniging

On the 11th December, 2024, the Sedibeng District Municipality launched the new District AIDS Council (DAC), with a strong Civil Society Forum to lead the way. This is an important step in bringing people and organizations together to fight HIV/AIDS as well as towards achieving the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development which aims to end HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

At the event, Executive Mayor Cllr Lerato Maloka explained the purpose of the day: “Today’s gathering is to relaunch the District AIDS Council in order to formalise the structure, introduce the leadership and formulate the governance of the council.” She further emphasised the holistic nature of the AIDS Council’s mission, “Our work does not stop at raising awareness or preventing HIV/AIDS. It encompasses addressing the social ills that exacerbate its spread, including Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF).”

The relaunch builds upon significant progress from prior initiatives, such as the Sedibeng AIDS Lekgotla held earlier in the year. The Sedibeng AIDS Secretariat highlighted several accomplishments from July to September 2024:

• Recorded increases in people living with HIV knowing their status and accessing lifesaving antiretroviral therapy.
• Multiple Local AIDS Council Roadshows mobilised stakeholders, helped to increase multi-sectoral collaboration and identified gaps in representation.
• Training for government and secretariat staff enhanced monitoring and evaluation capabilities.

Despite these strides, challenges remain. Many people are afraid to get tested or treated because of stigma. Social issues like Gender-Based Violence make the situation harder to control. To address these issues, the Sedibeng District Council is working with community leaders, police, and Ward Based Educators to improve safety and access to healthcare.

“We need everyone to work together to protect our children and educate our families,” said Cllr Maloka. “It’s not easy, but we can achieve great things when we join forces.”