The CPUT campus-wide HIV testing drive has officially kicked off. This campaign, dubbed ‘First Things First’ is a counselling and testing drive commissioned by the Department of Higher Education’s Programme on HIV/ AIDS (HEAIDS).

Its purpose is to encourage students, academics, administration and service staff to get tested in the mobile clinic that will visit all CPUT campuses and service points during the next few weeks.
 
Projects Officer Alex Semba said the campaign was first introduced in mid-2011, with the drive primarily aimed at first-year students.
 
He said this year the focus has been expanded to all members of the CPUT community.
 
Part of the campaign is asking participants to watch a counselling DVD that will be uploaded on all CPUT computers.  Thereafter they will be tested using the finger-prick method and receive post-test counseling from the on-site medical staff.
 
The test will take no more than 20 minutes.
 
For those who may be concerned about their status being exposed, Semba says, “For us, confidentiality is key. The only people who have access to your results are you and your health worker.”
 
“We would like everyone who tested to also sign a pledge to stop discrimination, reduce the stigma of HIV/ AIDS and help to curb further infections by practising safer sex”, says Semba.
 
Head of the Unit, Dr Ashraf Mohammed has also encouraged the CPUT community to participate in the drive.
 
“Knowing one’s status is very essential, as it allows you to live a healthy responsible life,” says Dr Mohammed.
 
For more information on dates and venues of the testing drive, watch out for updates via Newsflash or contact the Unit directly on (021) 460 4253.
 
By: Thando J. Moiloa
 
The HIV/ AIDS Unit in collaboration with TB Care has scheduled the campaign as follows: Bellville Campus - 27-29 Feb 2012
Granger Bay Campus - 01 March 2012
Cape Town Campus - 5-7 March 2012
Tygerberg Campus - 8 March 2012
Mowbray Campus - 12 & 13 March 2012
Wellington Campus - 14 & 15 Mach 2012
Optical Dispensing - 19 March 2012
Thomas Patullo - 20 March 2012
Groote Schuur - 22 March 2012

Written by CPUT News
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Flip HIV to HIVictory! This was the theme of the week-long programme of events arranged for the rollout of the Scrutinize Campaign to all the major CPUT campuses from 24 to 27 August 2009.

The country-wide initiative was launched in 2008, in partnership with United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Johns Hopkins Health Education in South Africa (JHHESA) and jeans label Levi's. The campaign seeks to encourage and equip young people to take responsibility to reduce their risk of HIV infection.

The CPUT campus tours included visits to the Granger Bay, Wellington, Bellville and Cape Town learning sites where audiences were treated to live entertainment by local Hip-Hop artist JR and comedian Joey Rasdien, as well as performances by talented CPUT students from the arts and culture societies.

The key topics addressed by the series of events included perceptions of risky behaviour induced by drug and alcohol abuse, multiple and concurrent partnerships, faithfulness; proper condom use and safety and transactional intergenerational sexual activity.

In addition to offering live events, Scrutinize has also produced a multimedia campaign in the form of a series of short animated commercials known as ‘animerts’ broadcast on national radio and television, featuring animated township characters who illustrate daily life encounters that place young people at risk of HIV infection.

The ‘animerts’ are intended for 18 to 32 year-olds in South Africa, a category under which most university students fall, and aim to equip viewers with a new HIV-related facts, urging them to ‘scrutinize’ (or examine) their own risky behaviour and stimulating discussions in a series of organised youth conversations.

Scrutinize Campus Campaigns have taken place at over five higher education institutions during the months of August and September, with the purpose of promoting prevention objectives in abstinence and faithfulness and other prevention measures.

At CPUT, the campaign, hosted by the HIV/AIDS Unit based on CPUT’s Cape Town campus and headed by Dr Ashraf Mohammed, was a collaborative effort with non-profit, independent, donor funded arts organisation, DramAidE (Drama AIDS Education).

DramAidE was established by Prof Lynn Dalrymple seventeen years ago as a university-based unit at the Universities of Zululand and KwaZulu-Natal; and uses the talents of Postgraduate students from the institutions’ Drama departments.

Since its inception, DramAidE has developed into a well-established entity and accredited service provider that has achieved both national and international recognition for its work in the field of HIV/AIDS education, research and social development.

Some of the organisation’s core donors include the JHHESA, USAID, the African Medical Research Foundation, SAIH Interfund, Richards Bay Minerals, the National Development Agency, Greatergood and the KwaZulu-Natal Departments of Health and Education.

For more information on DramAidE visit their website at http://www.dramaide.co.za

By Thando J. Moiloa

Written by CPUT News
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Ms Ferial Isaacs, a Radiography staff member who recently graduated with a MTech in Radiography (Ultrasound), coordinated private research in Ultrasound for her Masters Degree.

The research evaluated foetal growth during pregnancies of HIV women in Khayelitsha and Gugulethu clinics. Through this 18-month quantitative research process, she discovered that the foetal growth of babies born from HIV positive mothers do not significantly differ from those born from HIV negative mothers.

The results of the antenatal ultrasound findings also showed no significant difference when comparing foetal biometry, placental thickness and amniotic fluid index.

Ms Isaacs chose to do this study after completing projects in Retreat and Hanover Park where many women were HIV positive. Upon further research, she discovered that in 2002, 8% of pregnant women in the entire Western Cape were HIV positive, in comparison to the approximately 25% of HIV-positive women in Guguletu and Khayelitsha.

Her research was born from a genuine curiosity and a desire to do work that would be beneficial to the community. Ms Isaacs managed to raise R150 000 through sponsorship and donations for an ultrasound machine to conduct her research.

She took the machine to Guguletu and Khayelitsha twice a week, where she saw 40 patients a week monitoring the growth of their unborn babies. Ms Isaacs screened HIV-positive and HIV-negative women.

The outcome of this study suggests that there is no need to adapt clinical monitoring of foetal growth specifically for the HIV-infected women who were scanned as part of the research. This machine is now used for teaching.

Challenges faced during her research include the lack of knowledge about AIDS in townships, working at primary healthcare centres, administration difficulties and the drop-out rate of pregnant women who failed to return for continuous evaluation.

However, she was inspired everyday by meeting HIV positive women who, despite their status, are strong, positive and ambitious. There were many who had no partners and many who have not disclosed their HIV status.

The project taught her about research, compiling proposals, identifying potential donors, requesting sponsorship and being open-minded. She said, “You must have an open mind about research as findings are not always predictable. Remain focussed, remember your hypothesis and stick to it. Use the pitfalls in your research experience to learn from.”

Ms Isaacs thanked her sponsors that included the institution, the Mauerberger Foundation for the Solm Yach Fellowship and Safmarine for their support and contribution.

* Ms Isaacs is also running a training programme for ultrasonographers to provide a service in the Boland region.

Written by CPUT News
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The CPUT Vaccination Centre, which has administered nearly 20,000 COVID-19 vaccinations, recently celebrated its first anniversary.

The Centre, situated on the Bellville campus, was the first to open at a Post-School Education centre in South Africa.

By Friday, the centre had provided 19,901 COVID-19 vaccinations and recently started giving influenza vaccinations.  

“I think I speak for all the staff when I say that we are quite humbled to realise that a year has passed. Having the opportunity to be on the frontline of the institutional response to Covid-19 has certainly been a privilege. I believe we can be proud of how we have performed as a team,” said Vaccination Manager Benjamin de Waal.

“It’s a humbling thought to realise that our centre was part of a global effort, one of, if not the largest mass vaccination campaigns, to vaccinate people against Covid-19. It is quite rewarding to see the number of severe COVID-19 disease cases and deaths coming down, knowing that this is certainly in part due to the vaccination campaign we have been a part of.”

De Waal said the main highlight of the CPUT vaccination campaign has been the “amazing collaboration” between the Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences (FHWS), particularly the Departments of Nursing Science and Emergency Medical Sciences, Facilities Management, the HIV Unit, the Safety Health and Environmental Unit, Campus Health, CTS, the Marketing and Communication Department and the COVID19 Health Cluster to make the vaccination centre a reality in a matter of weeks in early 2021.

“This would certainly not have been possible without the leadership of Prof Tandi Matsha (Dean: FHWS), Prof Mellet Moll (COVID-19 Compliance Officer), Prof Karien Jooste (Head of Department of Nursing), Jerome Dreyer (Property Services), Melanie Swanson (HIV Unit), Natalie Copeling (Department of Nursing) and Gail Benjamin (Campus Health) and many others whom we cannot all mention here who all played pivotal roles in making the vaccination centre a reality. This was a CPUT community project and showcases our institution's spirit and capacity to respond to and overcome a crisis.”      

He said another highlight has been providing vaccination services to the communities surrounding the Bellville campus.

“In total, the vaccination centre has vaccinated more than 13,000 public members alone, mostly from the communities around the campus, in an area where limited healthcare services are available. The success of the two Vooma vaccination campaigns has also been a highlight, particularly because these campaigns contributed significantly towards students' vaccination.”

The centre has also recently been invited to join the Western Cape Department of Health Influenza Vaccination campaign and can now offer Influenza vaccinations to eligible clients.

Written by Ilse Fredericks

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