News
HST Collects relevant news from a variety of sources, for your convenience and thus has no control over the content of these news articles. Select a story from below, or use our search feature to find stories of interest.

Massive HIV/AIDS survey kicks off
Health-e
2008-05-30

The 3rd South African National HIV, Behaviour and Health Survey has kicked off in Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban aiming to reach 28 000 people in 15 000 randomly selected households across the country in the next five months. The survey will be undertaken by a consortium of research institutions led by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) and seeks to find out the levels of HIV infection in South Africa, and to learn what South Africans know, believe and feel about HIV/AIDS.

This survey is a key instrument in our understanding the reach of HIV in our country. If we cannot reliably ascertain the extent of the disease in the country, we cannot plan accordingly. We need reliable figures so that a host of health and social interventions in response to HIV in the public, private and NGO sectors, can be targeted and implemented accurately, said Dr Olive Shisana, CEO of the HSRC. Fieldworkers are already in the field in the Western Cape, Gauteng, North-West, and the Free State. The survey involves asking participants to be pricked on a fingertip or heel (in the case of babies using a small pin known as a lancet), which will yield a few drops of blood that will be collected on special paper.

Those aged 12 years and older will also answer questions about their health and sexual behaviour. Participation is voluntary and all participants will remain completely anonymous. The point is not to furnish participants with their results, but rather to gain a clearer understanding of the reach of HIV/AIDS in South Africa and people's responses to the epidemic. 

Many high profile individuals in South Africa have given their support to this important study and have agreed to promote participation in the survey. These calls for participation are aimed at all South Africans - old and young, of all races, able-bodied and disabled, and people from many different backgrounds. In Pretoria, Hlubi Mboya, who plays HIV-positive Nandipha in the SABC soapi Isidingo, gave a blood sample for the survey. My dream, she said, is to see an AIDS-free generation. The 5fm morning show team, hosted by Gareth Cliff, who gave a blood sample on air this morning, called on listeners on air to participate in the study if they are selected for giving a blood sample and the accompanying questionnaire. At the HSRC office in Cape Town, Olympic swimmer Natalie du Toit also joined in the call for participation of young, and especially white South Africans, in the survey. She also gave a blood sample to illustrate the anonymous nature of the survey. Information from this survey will inform policy makers about the HIV/AIDS situation in South Africa and will also help to inform HIV prevention campaigns and contribute to the expansion of services for people and families infected and affected by AIDS and people living with HIV/AIDS.

Keywords	This Item is associated with the Following Keywords: .
You Can Comment on this Item, or View other people's Comments
Easy Print  Email to a friend

	Related News
	Take part in AIDS survey, Madiba urges (2004-11-11) 'Females more likely to get HIV' (2005-10-07) SA suffers false sense of security over AIDS (2005-12-02) South African HIV/Aids numbers tally (2006-01-17) Department of Health embarks on a national study on the health of older persons (2007-03-09)

	Related Publications
	HITTING HOME - How households cope with the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic: A survey of households affected by HIV/AIDS in South Africa (2003-02-19) HIV/AIDS in South Africa: the impacts and the priorities (2000-07-14) South African National HIV Prevalence, Behavioural Risks and Mass Media - Household Survey 2002 (2002-12-11) Namibia Demographic and Health Survey - Preliminary Report (2002-04-26) NDOH Annual Report 2008/09 (2009-10-09)

	Related Health Statistics
	HIV prevalence (%) (antenatal) (2004-10-04) Number of admissions for alcohol and other drug abuse (2007-05-21) Percentage participating in insufficient physical activity (2004-05-19) Births assisted by trained health personnel (0000-00-00) Area as a % of total area of South Africa (0000-00-00)

	Related Events
	Interactions Between Poverty and HIV/AIDS (2005-12-12) 2nd African Conference on Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS Research (2004-05-09) HIV prevention: Where is the evidence of interventions that work? (2009-11-23) 2005 AIDS Impact Conference (2005-04-04) 10th Anniversary Conference of the Children in Distress Network (2006-04-03)

	Related links
	The Topsy Foundation AfroAIDSinfo loveLife iThemba Lethu AIDS Law Project

	Related Content
	The Community Development Programme (2004-04-07) Summary Bulletin 10 (August) - DHS-LG Discussion List (2004-07-16) ISDS Site: Kgalagadi District (2004-05-10) Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV/AIDS (PMTCT) (2004-04-07) ISDS Site: Alfred Nzo District (2004-05-10)