Blog

In the country, the month of November has become synonymous with the World AIDS Campaign (WAC) where the country’s HIV response stakeholders concentrate their efforts to raising awareness around HIV and AIDS issues, as they prepare for the national commemoration of World AIDS Day (WAD) on December 1. The various run-up events consist of engagements in imiphakatsi (communities) and sub-populations in a selected Inkhundla, that culminate in a “Report-Back” regional sessions at the host Inkhundla, led by NERCHA in partnership with regional HI response stakeholders. The community-based activities serve to increase awareness among people, on available HIV services including testing and treatment as well as to discuss HIV prevention options.

All WAC/WAD activities are carried out under the guidance of a global theme provided by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) which sets the agenda that countries and organizations strive to achieve within the campaign. The WAC/WAD activities are however not the only key national activities that take place in the country and globally, during November. The 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence Campaign takes place from 25 November (International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) to 10 December (International Human Rights Day). In a sense, the key WAC/WAD activity (World AIDS Day commemoration) occurs during and complements this key international human rights awareness-raising campaign.