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Pretoria North’s Health and Social Outreach Event Hosted by Metro
The Wolmer community in Pretoria North received a significant boost to their healthcare access and social support services during a health and social outreach event organised by the Tshwane health department.
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This event, which took place on a Friday, featured a range of essential services aimed at improving the well-being of residents. Among the services offered were free health screenings for non-communicable diseases, education on HIV treatment, counselling, and HIV testing.
Multiple stakeholders collaborated to ensure the success of this community-oriented initiative. The event saw the active involvement of organisations such as the Community-Oriented Substance Use Programme (Cosup), Wits Reproductive Health, HIV Institute (RHI), The Aurum Institute, MIET Africa, and KeReady.
Tshwane Health MMC Rina Marx emphasised that the outreach event had several focal points, including raising awareness about substance abuse and promoting the benefits of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and HIV testing services (HTS). Educational materials were made available, and experts were on hand to provide information and address questions regarding these crucial topics.
The overarching goal was to empower the community with knowledge, enabling them to make informed decisions about their health. Importantly, all services provided during the event were free to the community.
The range of services offered during the outreach event was comprehensive and covered various aspects of healthcare and social support:
- Screening for non-communicable diseases, including diabetes and high blood pressure.
- HIV treatment literacy, counselling, testing, and initiating or re-initiating antiretroviral treatment (ART).
- Substance abuse awareness and screening.
- Pharmaceutical services and COVID-19 testing.
- Raising awareness about PrEP and offering treatment as well as HIV testing services (HTS).
To further enhance the support available to the community, Tshwane Social Development stepped in to assist the Wolmer community in registering indigent households. Additionally, the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) provided valuable information about its services, and the Department of Employment and Labour facilitated job seeker registrations and offered career counselling.
Marx emphasised the commitment of the health department to empower communities and stressed the importance of collective efforts in making a positive difference in the lives of community members. This event served as a testament to the collaborative spirit aimed at enhancing the overall well-being of the Wolmer community.
Source: Metro hosts health, social outreach in Pretoria North
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Photo: Supplied by Rekord
