George Municipality and Stakeholders Commemorate World AIDS Day

In the photo: Release of red and white balloons by Cllrs Adams and Jantjies

In collaboration with the Department of Health and various stakeholders, the George Municipality HIV & AIDS Sub-Section hosted a commemoration event for World AIDS Day 2023 on 1st December 2023 at the Rosemore sports field. The event brought together high school students, and mothers caring for orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs), and featured health-related tests conducted on gazebos erected on the sports field.

Ward Councillor (Cllr) Jayzee Jantjies of Ward 6 addressed the community, emphasising the importance of maintaining a healthy community. The event included sports activities, motivational speakers, and the release of red and white balloons by Portfolio Councillor for Community Services: Social Development, Libraries and Sport, Cllr Brandan Adams, and Ward Cllr Jayzee Jantjies in remembrance of loved ones who lost their lives to the HIV pandemic.

The organizers conveyed a message of hope, emphasizing that individuals living with HIV/AIDS and using Antiretroviral medicine can still enjoy life and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

World AIDS Day, observed on December 1st each year, has become a globally recognized health day, providing an essential opportunity to raise awareness, remember those who have passed away, and celebrate achievements such as increased access to treatment and prevention services.

The theme for this year’s World AIDS Day, “World AIDS Day 35: Remember and Commit,” marked the 35th commemoration, highlighting the theme “LET COMMUNITIES LEAD.”