South African tertiary institutions took a giant leap forward in the fight against HIV and Aids when they recently launched a national strategic policy framework at a conference held at UCT.

Produced in collaboration with universities by the Higher Education South Africa, the Department of Higher Education and Training as well as Higher Education Aids (HEAIDS), the framework provides a useful guide to universities and FETs in developing an effective response to the HIV/Aids pandemic.

The three-day national conference of Higher Education institutional HIV/Aids programmes was recently held under the theme: Applying the Research/Researching the Applied.

Speakers who addressed the conference included the Professor Anthony Staak, CPUT Deputy Vice Chancellor, the Vice-chancellors of UWC, Stellenbosch and UCT, the Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training Mduduzi Manana as well as speakers from the national Department of Health, UNAIDS and HEAIDS.

The main highlights of the conference were the unveiling of the new HEAIDS logo and the launch of the Policy and Strategic Framework on HIV/Aids for Higher Education.

The first day of this conference was planned to coincide with the celebration of World AIDS Day, on the eve of which the UNAIDS reported that South Africa increased its rollout of HIV treatment by 75% in the last two years, ensuring 1.7 million people had access.

The World Aids Day/Opening of the Conference was hosted by the CPUT HIV/Aids Unit and its director, Professor Ashraf Mohammed.

The report also indicated that during this period new HIV infections in South Africa had fallen by more than 50 000.

Kwanele Butana

Written by CPUT News
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Students from universities and TVET Colleges around the Western Cape have committed themselves to tackling the Aids epidemic head on by engaging in issues of unprotected sex , sexual and gender-based violence, substance abuse,  HIV testing and other free health related services offered at the conference .

These and other ideas to end HIV infection were discussed vigorously during the recent HIV/Aids Youth Leadership Conference which CPUT hosted on the Bellville Campus.

Following the success of last year’s inaugural conference, the theme of this year’s conference was: You can be the difference.

Attended by student leaders from CPUT, UWC, Stellenbosch University, False Bay College, Boland College and the College of Cape Town, the conference’s sponsors included Higher Education Aids (HEAIDS), The Global Fund, NACOSA and DHET.

The CPUT SRC announced its fundraising initiative to alleviate hunger among the students which they link to the spread of HIV.

“We thus call upon Higher Education AIDS to partner up with us in this initiative that will go a long way in making strides to tackling the epidemic of HIV/AIDS in higher education,” said Central SRC President, Sibusiso Thwala,.”

Delivering the keynote address, Alex Semba from HEAIDS, said educated youth are a stronger force of transformation in their communities than their peers.

He said they intend to train 7 000 Peer Educators in universities ad TVET Colleges this year.

International Aids Society’s Dr Memory Muturiki called for increased private sector support ad donor funding and encouraged young people to express their views on tackling HIV/Aids.

The conference also featured satellite sessions and panel discussions focusing on pertinent issues of LGBTQI, Innovative methods of reaching youth and Leadership Development.

Two students from CPUT and False Bay College won an all-expenses paid trip to the 2016 International AIDS Conference in Durban.

Written by Kwanele Butana
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