We use cookies on this website. By continuing to use this site without changing your cookie settings, you agree that you are happy to accept our privacy policy and for us to access our cookies on your device.
Transcript/Script ((PLAYBOOK SLUG: COVID-SAFRICA HIV PREVENTION
HEADLINE: South Africa Ramps Up HIV Care Disrupted During COVID
TEASER: With COVID numbers reducing, South Africa’s health experts are scrambling to ramp up HIV programs
PUBLISHED AT: Thursday, 03/03/2022 at
BYLINE: Linda Givetash, Zaheer Cassim
DATELINE: JOHANNESBURG
VIDEOGRAPHER: Zaheer Cassim
VIDEO EDITOR:
SCRIPT EDITORS: Salem Solomon, wpm
VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA Original, Zoom
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV X RADIO X
TRT:
VID APPROVED BY:
TYPE: TVPKG
EDITOR NOTES: There is a radio story accompanying this piece.))
((INTRO))
[[South Africa has the world’s highest number of HIV patients, but the COVID pandemic disrupted access to care, prevention, and testing, raising concerns of a spike in infections. With COVID numbers reducing, South Africa’s health experts are scrambling to step up HIV programs, as Linda Givetash reports from Johannesburg.]]
((VIDEO-VOA: Establishing Mobile Clinic, Establishing Asanda w/ flyers))
((NARRATOR))
With COVID-19 under control in South Africa, health workers are putting the spotlight back on the country’s first pandemic: HIV.
The community of Soshanguve, north of Pretoria, is considered a hotspot for the disease.
This mobile clinic is attempting to fill gaps in HIV services while targeting the most vulnerable populations: women and girls.
((Asanda Nkata, Clinical Coordinator, MIET Africa)) ((English, 21 secs))
(1:12) “It’s easy for them to get HIV because of first of all the boys, they don’t want to they don’t want to condomize. So, if a lady depends on a guy financially, or anyhow, then it’s easy for them to allow the guy not to use a condom.” (1:41) “They’re also at risk of getting raped, they are also at risk of getting married at a very young age.”
((VIDEO-VOA: Nkata community outreach))
((NARRATOR))
But reaching people wasn’t as easy during COVID-19 lockdowns.
((Asanda Nkata, Clinical Coordinator, MIET Africa)) ((English, 16 secs))
(3:30) “There were difficulties in terms of reaching our target because everyone was indoors.” (5:47) “Everyone is home, people were losing their jobs, so there was a high risk of poverty. Obvious when people are at home, all they do is intercourse.”
((VIDEO-VOA: Clinic staff, Girl being taken in, establishing of Mtebese))
((NARRATOR))
The United Nations says that for the first time in the history of fighting HIV, there were significant declines in testing and treatment for HIV amid the coronavirus pandemic.
It means people are at greater risk of unknowingly spreading the disease.
Health workers say it’s still too early to quantify any increases in HIV spread.
But they say factors like increases in teen pregnancy, gender-based violence and school dropouts are cause for concern.
((Mpho Mtebese, Program Manager, MIET Africa)) ((English, 14 secs))
(13:13) “I’m worried about HIV rising again because of COVID. You know, I’m worried about poverty going up and worried about a whole lot of things, you know, unemployment, because COVID has affected our lives in so many aspects.”
((VIDEO-VOA: Signage in office))
((NARRATOR))
The setback could reverse years of progress and cost lives.
((VIDEO-ZOOM: Eva Kiwango))
((Eva Kiwango, UNAIDS Country Director for South Africa)) ((English, 23 secs)) ((Mandatory cg: Zoom))
(10:12) “U.N. AIDS predicts that the world could face 7.7 million deaths, AIDS deaths, over the next 10 years, and 4.7 million of those deaths will occur in Africa. If we make the needed investments and achieve the 2025 targets we could achieve, we could save the lives of 2.7 million people.”
((VIDEO-VOA: Mobile clinic))
((NARRATOR))
Despite the economic impact of COVID-19, Eva Kiwango says many international groups like the Global Fund have upheld HIV funding, allowing countries to continue pursuing targets.
((VIDEO-ZOOM: Eva Kiwango))
((Eva Kiwango, UNAIDS Country Director for South Africa)) ((English, 13 secs)) ((Mandatory cg: Zoom))
(21:06) “South Africa has shown very strong efforts and communities have been so resilient. And we’ve seen initiatives that have been scaled up.”
((VIDEO-VOA: Mobile unit wide))
((NARRATOR))
By reinvigorating efforts, she says HIV can become a disease of the past.
((Linda Givetash, for VOA News, Johannesburg))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Embargo DateMarch 3, 2022 08:30 EST
BylineLinda Givetash, Zaheer Cassim
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
