Noah News
“Woman of the Year” Title Awarded to Phumzile Nyembe (Read more)
Monday, December 7th, 2009Phumzile Nyembe: Noah’s Woman of the Year
On Saturday 5 December 2009 Phumzile Nyembe, an Ark Development Officer for Noah in the Newcastle region, was awarded the title “Woman of the Year” by Soul Magazine. Phumzile was nominated for her amazing dedication and commitment to children in South Africa. Phumzile we salute you and your dedication and congratulate you on your achievement.
Phumzile works for Noah as an Ark Development Officer. In this role she provides mentoring and support to existing Arks, investigates the possibility of new Arks and mobilises communities to better care for their orphaned and vulnerable children. Phumzile has created networks of care for children at risk through empowering community committees, launching feeding programmes and supporting educational and health programmes at Noah Arks. She is a treasure to her community and has become a beacon of light for children. Despite reaching retirement age, and being able to take a well deserved break, Phumzile continues to work with communities and fight for a better life for each child.
Phumzile has dedicated her life to improving the well being of children in her community. This she has done in both her professional capacity at Noah and her personal capacity through initiating a school for children with special needs in Ladysmith, starting “Phumzile’s Project” a project dedicated to providing school leavers with appropriate skills, and raising funds for a residential hostel for boarders at her special needs projects.
Phumzile believes that all children deserve a chance in life and has worked tirelessly to find ways to achieve this. Through her work at Noah as well as in her community she has illustrated that each of us can make a difference. Her dedication and passion for volunteerism is evident in everything that she does. Phumzile is a treasured member of the Noah team and we are incredibly proud of her achievements. Congratulations Mam Nyembe from all of us at Noah.
World AIDS Day: President Zuma Address (Read more)
Tuesday, December 1st, 2009Address by President Jacob Zuma on the Occasion of World AIDS Day
Today we join millions of people across the globe to mark World Aids Day.
We join multitudes who have determined that this epidemic cannot be overcome without a concerted and coordinated effort.
We join millions who understand that the epidemic is not merely a health challenge. It is a challenge with profound social, cultural and economic consequences.
It is an epidemic that affects entire nations. Yet it touches on matters that are intensely personal and private.
Unlike many others, HIV and AIDS cannot be overcome simply by improving the quality of drinking water, or eradicating mosquitoes, or mass immunisation.
It can only be overcome by individuals taking responsibility for their own lives and the lives of those around them.
Fellow South Africans,
As a country, we have done much to tackle HIV and AIDS.
In every sector of society, there are individuals and groups who have worked tirelessly to educate, advocate, care, treat, prevent and to break the stigma that still surrounds the epidemic.
Today, we wish to acknowledge their dedicated efforts.
As government we are ready to play our role of leadership, building on the foundation that has been laid over the past 15 years.
Under the leadership of Presidents Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki and Kgalema Motlanthe, the democratic government has put in place various strategies to comprehensively deal with HIV and Aids, tuberculosis and sexually transmitted infections.
Working with other sectors through the South African National Aids Council, we have managed to harness unity in confronting this scourge.
The amount of resources dedicated to prevention, treatment and care has increased with each successive year.
But it is not enough. Much more needs to be done.
We need extraordinary measures to reverse the trends we are seeing in the health profile of our people.
We know that the situation is serious. We have seen the statistics.
We know that the average life expectancy of South Africans has been falling, and that South Africans are dying at a young age.
We have seen the child-headed and granny-headed households, and have witnessed the pain and displacement of orphans and vulnerable children.
These facts are undeniable. We should not be tempted to downplay the statistics and impact or to deny the reality that we face.
At the same time, the epidemic is not about statistics. It is about people, about families, and communities.
It is about our loved ones.
For many families, it is a burden that they have to bear alone, fearful of discrimination and stigma.
Dear Compatriots,
Now is not the time to lament. It is the time to act decisively, and to act together.
Our message is simple. We have to stop the spread of HIV. We must reduce the rate of new infections. Prevention is our most powerful weapon against the epidemic.
All South Africans should take steps to ensure that they do not become infected, that they do not infect others and that they know their status.
Each individual must take responsibility for protection against HIV. To the youth, the future belongs to you.
Be responsible and do not expose yourself to risks.
Parents and heads of households, let us be open with our children and educate them about HIV and how to prevent it.
Ladies and gentlemen,
We are still marking the 16 days of activism against violence on women and children. During this period, it is important that we also remember to uphold the rights of women and children, including their right to protection from infection with HIV.
Many women are unable to negotiate for protection due to unequal power relations in relationships.
As we mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on Thursday, the 3rd of December, let us remember the impact of HIV on persons with disability.
We have to tailor government programmes and messages to also speak to the needs of this sector.
Fellow South Africans,
To take our response a step forward, we are launching a massive campaign to mobilise all South Africans to get tested for HIV.
Every South African should know his or her HIV status. To prepare for a continuous voluntary testing campaign, we would like to announce a few new measures, to expand our response.
All children under one year of age will get treatment if they test positive. Initiating treatment will therefore not be determined by the level of CD cells.
This decision will contribute significantly towards the reduction of infant mortality over time.
All patients with both TB and HIV will get treatment with anti-retrovirals if their CD4 count is 350 or less. At present treatment is available when the CD4 count is less than 200. TB and HIV/Aids will now be treated under one roof.
This policy change will address early reported deaths arising from undetected TB infection among those who are infected with HIV.
We have taken this step, particularly on learning that approximately 1% of our population has TB and that the co-infection between TB and HIV is 73%.
All pregnant HIV positive women with a CD4 count of 350 or with symptoms regardless of CD4 count will have access to treatment. At present HIV positive pregnant women are eligible for treatment if their CD4 count is less than 200.
All other pregnant women not falling into this category, but who are HIV positive, will be put on treatment at fourteen weeks of pregnancy to protect the baby. In the past this was only started during the last term of pregnancy.
In order to meet the need for testing and treatment, we will work to ensure that all the health institutions in the country are ready to receive and assist patients and not just a few accredited ARV centres. Any citizen should be able to move into any health centre and ask for counselling, testing and even treatment if needed.
The implementation of all these announcements is effective from April 2010. Institutions are hard at work to ensure that systems are in place by the 31st of March.
What does this all mean? It means that we will be treating significantly larger numbers of HIV positive patients. It means that people will live longer and more fulfilling lives.
What does it NOT mean? It does not mean that we should be irresponsible in our sexual practices.
It does not mean that people do not have to practice safer sex. It does not mean that people should not use condoms consistently and correctly during every sexual encounter.
We can eliminate the scourge of HIV if all South Africans take responsibility for their actions.
I need to re-emphasise at this point that we must intensify our prevention efforts if we are to turn off the tap of new HIV and TB infections. Prevention is our most powerful and effective weapon.
We have to overcome HIV the same way that it spreads – one individual at a time. We have to really show that all of us are responsible.
The HIV tests are voluntary and they are confidential. We know that it is not easy. It is a difficult decision to take.
But it is a decision that must be taken by people from all walks of life, of all races, all social classes, all positions in society. HIV does not discriminate.
I am making arrangements for my own test. I have taken HIV tests before, and I know my status. I will do another test soon as part of this new campaign. I urge you to start planning for your own tests.
Ladies and gentlemen,
We are also mindful of the social impact of the epidemic, and continue to provide psycho-social support and home based care, through the Home Community Based Care and child care programmes of government.
Let me use this opportunity to salute all our caregivers including those neighbours who assist and support families in distress.
We also thank our international partners, who continue to provide material support to our campaign against AIDS.
On this day, our hearts go out to all South Africans who are in distress as a result of this epidemic. To families looking after sick relatives, we wish you strength. We understand what you are going through.
To those who have lost their loved ones to the epidemic we share your pain, and extend our deepest condolences.
Fellow South Africans,
At another moment in our history, in another context, the liberation movement observed that the time comes in the life of any nation when there remain only two choices: submit or fight.
That time has now come in our struggle to overcome AIDS.
Let us declare now, as we declared then, that we shall not submit.
We have no choice but to deploy every effort, mobilise every resource, and utilise every skill that our nation possesses, to ensure that we prevail in this struggle for the health and prosperity of our nation.
History has demonstrated the strength of a nation united and determined. We are a capable, innovative and motivated people.
Together we fought and defeated a system so corrupt and reviled that it was described as a crime against humanity.
Together we can overcome this challenge.
Let today be the dawn of a new era.
Let there be no more shame, no more blame, no more discrimination and no more stigma.
Let the politicisation and endless debates about HIV and AIDS stop.
Let this be the start of an era of openness, of taking personal responsibility, and of working together in unity to prevent HIV infections and to deal with its impact.
Working together, we can achieve these goals!
I thank you.
World AIDS Day: SA AIDS Time Bomb (Read more)
Monday, November 30th, 2009Tabelo Timse
Johannesburg – While South Africa’s HIV infection rate may have stabilised, experts warn that the country’s slow Aids response has triggered a time bomb that may leave one in three children orphaned.
“Estimates show that by 2015, some 5 700 000 or 32% of all children in South Africa would have lost one or both parents due to HIV/AIDS,” said Gail Eddy, a researcher at the Institute of Race Relations, told AFP.
In 2008 there were 1.5m Aids orphans, according to the country’s health department.
She said as the epidemic continues to shorten the lives of parents, more children were going to be orphaned and the number of child-headed households would also increase.
Support
The government currently provides support to about 238 000 Aids orphans and to more than 20 000 homes where older children care for younger siblings after their parents died from the virus.
Eddy said orphans needed additional support that was not necessarily monetary in nature, as these children had also lost their primary caregiver.
“What exacerbates the lack of support for these children, is that South Africa has a shortage of social workers who are responsible for identifying vulnerable children and providing them with the necessary support,” she said.
Nearly 495 000 Aids orphans are in foster care, but the government is encouraging more adoptions so that orphans can have permanent families.
However, only a tiny fraction of the Aids orphans, about 1 900, were adopted by South Africans last year, a drop of nearly 13% from the previous year.
“If the status quo is maintained, South Africa will be faced with a major crisis in the future, due to the social and economic consequences of increasing numbers of orphans and child-headed households,” said Eddy.
5.7m living with HIV
A recent study by Harvard School of Public Health study said the failure to provide anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) to Aids patients in South Africa led to the premature deaths of 365 000 people between 2000-2005.
UNAids estimates indicate that 5.7m out of nearly 48m South Africans are living with HIV, up from 5.5m in 2005.
That puts South Africa in first place for the number infected, but only about a million people are getting the cocktail of ARVs that prevent people with HIV from developing full-blown Aids and extends their lifetimes.
Activists and the current government lay the blame for the rapid spread of the disease squarely on former president Thabo Mbeki’s policies as he delayed the roll out ARVs, questioning the link between HIV and Aids.
His infamous health minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, promoted the use of lemon juice, garlic and beetroot above ARVs, which she said were toxic.
Gail Johnson, founder of Nkosi’s Haven, a shelter for 100 HIV-infected mothers and their 183 children, said South Africa lost valuable time due to the delays by Mbeki’s government to roll out the much needed ARVs.
“We became arrogant and recommended beetroot and garlic, people died,” said Johnson.
Genocide call
The leader of the young Communist Party last week made headlines when he called for Mbeki to be charged with genocide for their denial about the existence of the virus.
In stark contrast to his predecessor, Zuma will be taking in public a HIV test on World Aids Day on Tuesday, although his results won’t be disclosed.
Dr William Mapham, Wits University Reproductive Health and HIV Research unit spokesperson says there has been a policy shift in government’s response towards the epidemic: “There is no denialism anymore, Zuma came in and changed a few things and it’s definitely going to have a positive effect on South Africa,” he said.
Noah appoints new CEO (Read more)
Monday, November 23rd, 2009Karen Reader joined Noah in August 2009. Karen most recently filled the position as Head of Product Management at iBurst. Karen has excelled in the corporate field. She has to date satisfied her involvement in community outreach by participating and volunteering for TADA (Teenagers Against Drug Abuse), Smile and the Bien Venue Home for Abandoned Children.
The opportunity to work for Noah enables her to apply her corporate strengths in an NGO environment. Karen is an extremely results-oriented, passionate individual with inner drive and a desire to make a difference and is a welcome addition to the Noah team.
