01 December 2016
By Staff Reporter
The South African Local Government Association (SALGA) Chief Executive Officer, Mr Xolile George, said SALGA’s strategy on HIV AIDS over the next strategic period (2017-2022) will be to “lay the foundation for ending the epidemics and owning the response at a local government level”. He was speaking at the Salga conference held 28 Nov-01 December in Johannesburg, Sandton City.
He said this is in line with the South African National HIV / STI / TB Strategy and to put more emphasis on the involvement and contribution of communities with a multi-sectoral approach.
SALGA is taking the fight against this epidemic to municipalities through strategic partnerships and related programmes including established partnership with IAPAC and UNAIDS through an MOU, established partnership with UN Women through a MOU, re-launching the Alliance of Mayors’ Initiative for Community Action on AIDS at the Local Level (AMICAALL) South Africa Chapter, advocate for the promotion of more synergistic internal partnerships within local government at the levels of Metros, Districts and Local Municipalities across the rural-urban divide and drive portfolio-based induction of councillors newly sworn into office this year.
Mr Goerge said as part of the World AIDS Day Commemoration, SALGA re-Launched The Alliance of Mayors’ Initiative for Community Action on AIDS at the Local Level (AMICAALL) led by the outgoing Chairperson of SALGA, Cllr Thabo Manyoni.
AMICAALL is a global initiative started under the support of UNDP and UNAIDS to nurture and support the roles of the local leaders in the fight against HIV/AIDS in local authorities in Africa. The overall goal of the Alliance is to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS and to mitigate the social and economic impact of the epidemic on local communities in Africa. The Alliance is coordinated by the Secretariat in Windhoek, Namibia and is currently operating in 13 countries; Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa Republic, Coted’Ivoire, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia
Through the partnership with the International Association of Providers of Aids Care (IAPAC) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) – launching the Fast-Track City Dashboard which will see 19 municipalities that are a home to 47% (3.2 million) of all people living with HIV commit towards achieving the UNAIDS 90–90–90 treatment target, which will result in 90% of people living with HIV knowing their HIV status, 90% of people who know their HIV-positive status on antiretroviral treatment, and 90% of people on treatment with suppressed viral loads.
On the Fast-Track Cities Initiative, Mr George said the initiative was launched on World AIDS Day 2014 in Paris. The initiative is led by Mayors and city governments from more than 50 high HIV burden cities around the world, closely engaged with affected communities, civil society, city health officials, clinical and service providers, and other stakeholders.
The SALGA World AIDS Day Commemoration will be through participation from National Deputy Chairperson of the Treatment Action Campaign, Mr Patrick Mdletshe, TMZ Foundation Support, Ms Thobeka Madiba-Zuma, Mr Mark Heywood from Section27, His Worship Alfred Martin Aruo – Chairperson of AMICAALL Uganda, Professor Sheila Tlou, Regional Director: UNAIDS, Dr José Zuniga – President/CEO of the International Association of Providers of Aids Care.
The dignitaries joined the outgoing Chairperson of SALGA in the Lighting of Candles to portray a message of reconciliation and hope in the HIV and Aids pandemic. Delegates were reminded of the impact of the HIV and Aids epidemic and the associated stigma thought the words of Nkosi Jonson:
“Care for us and accept us — we are all human beings. We are normal. We have hands. We have feet. We can walk, we can talk, we have needs just like everyone else — don’t be afraid of us — we are all the same!”