SASOL joins forces with government to fight HIV/AIDS in Mpumalanga
SECUNDA - On 12 May, SASOL handed over a sum of R3 million as funding towards a HIV/AIDS Community Support Initiative. The Initiative entails screening, testing, counselling and referral for treatment as well as promoting testing and adherence to treatment. SASOL pledged to collaborate with the Department of Health on HIV/AIDS initiatives to support the achievement of the UNAIDS 90/90/90 target (‘the United Nations’ UN target’) which was signed between the department of Health, South African National AIDS Council and the South African Business Coalition on Health and AIDS.
The UN target is for 90% of people to be tested for HIV, 90% of people living with HIV to receive treatment and 90% of people on treatment to have a suppressed viral load.
SASOL, in partnership with Mpumalanga Department of Health, launched the HIV/AIDS pilot project in 2016 to support government‘s request to accelerate screening and testing. During the pilot phase the company invested R2,5 million to implement the project in the Gert Sibande municipal area focusing on the Mkhondo and Govan Mbeki Municipality’s informal and farms settlements area. The target population comprised contractors that work at SASOL sites as well as community females aged 15 – 45 (‘the target female group’).
According to Maureen Mboshane, Vice President for Corporate Affairs at SASOL, the project has been a resounding success since its inception. The target is to screen, counsel and test 55 000 people was exceeded by 100%.
The following breakdown of activities and numbers reached.
107 014 people have been reached through community awareness campaigns
34 250 people screened and tested for HIV, TB and STIs; 34 014 tested for Hypertension; and 25 418 tested for diabetes,
17 830 were referred to local clinics for appropriate treatment.
3644 people have been reached through the HIV/Aids shutdown project
Of the people tested, 110 644 people were informed of their status and those who needed treatment were referred to their local clinics.
“SASOL, is committed to work with various partners in order to improve the quality of life for communities around our operations,” said Mboshane.
SASOL Secunda joined forces with government by handing over an amount of R3 000 000 as funding towards a HIV / AIDS community support initiative. SASOL is committed to improve the quality of life of communities around their operations.
