Muzila prays for pastors� intervention
Lesedi Mkhutshwa | Thursday March 30, 2017 16:25
The mayor said this during a meeting where she sensitised church leaders on the 90-90-90 approaches recently at the Francistown Civic Centre.
Minister of Health and Wellness Dorcas Makgato launched the 90-90-90 initiatives here on January 31 and it is aimed at improving the health of cities by scaling up HIV testing, treatment and viral suppression by 2020.
When delivering the objectives of the 90-90-90 concept, Muzila said that 90-90-90 approach by 2020 aim is to have 90% of all people living with HIV knowing their status and 90% of all people diagnosed with HIV infection receive sustained Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART).
She added that the other 90% stands for all people receiving ART to have the viral suppression.
She further said they left behind pastors who are in this case powerful key players who can send the message to their congregants.
Muzila said they aspire to fight against HIV/AIDS using 90-90-90 approaches so that they can eliminate the disease and it would not be a concern by the year 2020.
“We need your help as church leaders so that we can reach our aim. Please pass the message to your followers so that we can have an HIV/AIDS free generation,” she said.
She added that pastors should also participate in the approach by knowing their status and encourage their family and church members to test for HIV/AIDS so that the initiative can be a success.
She said that the process will help people to know their status so that those who tested HIV positive can be enrolled for treatment so that their viral load suppresses.
Muzila said people still lack knowledge about HIV/AIDS.
“Some of Batswana still need to be educated more on HIV/AIDS because some of them still believe that other contraceptives protect them against HIV/AIDS,” she said.
Muzila also said some of the churches have a tendency of stopping people from adhering to treatment after praying for them.
She added that HIV positive individuals should continue with praying but should carry on adhering to their treatment until the doctors confirm their healing.
One of the attendants, pastor Collen Manase of Bible Life Ministries shared the same sentiments with Muzila.
He said there are multitudes of people who do not know much about HIV/AIDS.
“In this era we are living in, we still have people who sleep around without using protection. The majority of such people do not know their status nor their partners’,” he said.
Manase said they used to think that HIV/AIDS was a punishment from God made for sinners but only to realise that the disease can infect and affect everyone.
He urged pastors to be responsible and encourage their followers to continue with treatment even after receiving deliverance.
“Doctors are the only ones liable to decide if the HIV patient can stop adhering to treatment not us (pastors),”he said.
Another pastor from the Seventh Day Adventist church, Emmanuel Moseki said that the 90-90-90 approach should start with individuals.
He further said that people should rediscover their true humanity and think about their health and future.
Moseki said they should end mischievous behaviour such as drinking alcohol and unfaithfulness in their relationships, which are the major contributors to an increase in HIV/AIDS.
When giving an overview of HIV profile of the greater Francistown, head of preventative under the Francistown District Health Management Team (DHMT) Dr Tebogo Mokgwane said they have tested 9072 people in the greater Francistown.
He added that amongst them 784 people tested HIV positive and they discovered that 21,904 people in Francistown and 32,096 in greater Francistown are on ARV treatment.
Mokgware said they have managed to suppress the viral load of people who are receiving treatment.
He added that they have reached 92% of the second 90 of the approach.
He further said that the first 90 are giving them a challenge, as more people are not willing to test for HIV/AIDS.