By Bonakele Mabuza
MANZINI – Teaming up!
George Town University has teamed up with Eswatini Diabetes and Doctors Without Borders on Friday (June 14, 2024).
This partnership aims to improve the overall health and well-being of the community by providing a wide range of services including Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) prevention, counselling, Non Communicable Diseases (NCD) care. The United States Presidents’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) funded fair event.
With the support of Doctors Without Borders, the team has been able to provide crucial HIV prevention services including distributing HIV self-testing kits and educating the community on how to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS. This is a critical step in addressing the high rate of HIV in the country and empowering individual’s to take control of their health.
George Town University, assisted by Chakaza Empilweni Mobile Clinic, played a vital role in this partnership by offering free counselling services, Voluntary Male Medical Circumcision (VMMC) as well as distributing Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PREP) to those who were at risk of contracting HIV. Additionally, the University provided free condoms to promote safe sex practices and reduce the transmission of HIV. However, the efforts did not stop there. In response to COVID-19 pandemic, George Town University made the COVID-19 vaccine available, ensuring that individuals protected themselves and their loved ones from the virus.
According to George Town University Communications Officer, Lindekile Khumalo closer health services can facilitate early intervention and preventive care are essential to address health concerns before they escalate into more serious issues. She stated that, concerns about the cost of healthcare and potential medical bills deter men from going to the hospital. For that reason, bringing health services closer to men improves accessibility to healthcare, reducing the barriers related to time constraints and distance to health facilities.
Khumalo said regular medical check-ups and screening help detect health issues early, allowing timely interventions and treatments. For that reason, it was important to educate people to take good care of their health.
In a move to tackle Non Communicable Diseases, Eswatini Diabetes provided essential health services, including high blood pressure screening, diabetes screening, HIV testing and treatment. The organisation’s goal was to prevent and treat diabetes by educating people about health lifestyle choices, advocating for change and providing psychosocial support.
Tom Mkhonta from Emasekweni area in Manzini, stated that as men they believed that a visit to hospital could lead to serious diagnosis or health issues that they were not ready to deal with. This fear of the unknown is a significant barrier of medical care. Mkhonta further elaborated that, government has a long run when it comes to convincing men to go hospital and access medical services.
