BY OWETHU DLAMINI
MBABANE– An organisation working towards dismissing the narrative that men are weak when seeking medical help.
The Southern African HIV/AIDS Information Dissemination (SAfAIDS) Organisation in Eswatini has reached out to 43 adolescent boys and young men through a dialogue at Phondo Inkhundla. This was sponsored by United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Eswatini and aimed at reaching out to men to give them knowledge on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) as well as HIV/AIDS.
According to Nongcebo Gama, SAfAIDS Young Professional, it was noted by the organisation that there was lot of focus on the girl child which resulted in issues of young boys and men not being explored. She stated that during the dialogue, the men in attendance expressed their reasons as to why they did not regularly utilise these health services.
“The young men and adolescent boys in attendance expressed that they did not make use of the health care services offered to them because of the long queue that are usually there. They also went on to mention that going to the hospital made them feel weak as they believe that men are supposed to be strong and cannot be seen wondering at the hospital unless they are facing a critical sickness,” said Gama.
The Young Professional also went on to mention that during the dialogue, SAfAIDS emphasised the importance of being involved and knowing information regarding topics including HIV/AIDS and Gender-Based-Violence as these topics affected them as well.
“The involvement of men in the mitigation of health and social issues affecting the country will also allow the mortality rate among young men to decrease. The knowledge that was shared with these young men has given them the opportunity to understand that they are a part of what is happening around the country and also encourage them to stand up and be involved in such matters,” she said.
According to their social media platforms, SAfAIDS is a Regional Organisation that explores amplifying Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI), Human rights as well as dignity and contributes to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
