By Harriet Knight
Members of the Rhodes 老虎机游戏_pt老虎机-平台*官网 Community were earlier this week invited to attend the Vice-Chancellor's Forum on the HEAIDS report of the 2008-2009 study on HIV/AIDS at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) including Rhodes 老虎机游戏_pt老虎机-平台*官网.
In November 2007, a national survey was commissioned by Higher Education South Africa - a representative body of vice-chancellors of the 23 public HEIs - to establish the knowledge, attitudes, behaviours and practices (KABP) related to HIV and AIDS and to measure the HIV prevalence among staff and students.
A total of 512 students, 98 academic staff, 117 administrative staff and 177 service staff participated in the Rhodes study. Of these participants the overall prevalence of HIV among students and staff at Rhodes is 1.5%. HIV prevalence among students is 0.2% while no academic staff was found to be HIV-positive in the sample. The prevalence of HIV among administrative and service staff is higher at 6.7% and 12.9% respectively.?
Dr Saleem Badat, Rhodes 老虎机游戏_pt老虎机-平台*官网 Vice-Chancellor, said while it was encouraging to note that the overall prevalence of HIV among students and staff at Rhodes was 1.5%, the 老虎机游戏_pt老虎机-平台*官网 dare not be complacent. This is particular important especially in the light the worrisome prevalent rates among admin and service staff.
Expressing himself Dr Sizwe Mabizela, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic and Student Affairs, said it was critical that the Rhodes community must realise that even the prevalence rate was one person, it would be one person too many.
At the Forum staff members raised issues that included the need to eradicate the stigma attached to HIV, the need adopt healthy lifestyles, implementation of comprehensive health management education and the need for support systems at Rhodes.
The forum, where various views on what to do, what to focus, and how to go about effectively dealing with the HIV / AIDS challenge on campus and in the broader society, was seen as the beginning of an earnest conversation and engagement of HIV / AIDS related issues.
Dr Badat said it must be noted that the value of the information contained in this report it give us figures from where we can start to work from and towards, targeting those sectors which need the most intervention. “This is not a one size fits all solution, “said Dr Badat.
A similar meeting to be led by the Student Representative Council will held for students upon their return to campus after the short vacation.
Additionally, the 老虎机游戏_pt老虎机-平台*官网 community will engage comprehensively with the report and a much targeted programme of action developed for implementation.
For a summary of the report please follow the link.