U=U Campaign Launched by eThekwini Municipality Mayor Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda

 

By Fred Felton | 23 June 2023

The U=U Campaign was launched in Durban on 20 June 2023 by eThekwini Municipality Mayor Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda in Durban. This project is in partnership with UNAIDS.

The eThekwini Municipality Mayor Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda at the launch of the U=U Campaign in Durban. | Photo: eThekwini Municipality

This launch happened before the 11^th SA AIDS Conference which is taking place in Durban from 20 to 23 June. U=U stands for ‘’Undetectable = Untransmittable’’ and aims to create awareness about new scientific evidence that shows that people living with HIV who are on prescribed treatment, can supress HIV and avoid transmitting it to their partners and their unborn babies.

The aim of this campaign is to empower people living with HIV, and to encourage people to use condoms, be faithful to their partners, to abstain from sexual activity, and to get HIV tests.

Mayor Kaunda stressed the importance of men being open about their health and getting tested and circumcised.

‘’We call on eThekwini residents to join this campaign to end new HIV infections. The City started the Thuma Mina campaign to encourage men to live a healthy lifestyle. This created a platform for men to openly discuss issues that confront them daily and encourage them to undergo voluntary male medical circumcision,’’ said eThekwini Municipality Mayor, Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda.

Children are also an important part of the U=U campaign. Some children are living with the virus and they are not on treatment.  

‘’We encourage young people to get tested and as parents, we must support our children,’’ said eThekwini Municipality Mayor, Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda.

With the help of the City, 27 Peer Educators and 14 Adherence Officers have been placed at health facilities to help with adherence and retention in care.

The eThekwini Municipality has also embarked on a new campaign of tracing previous patients who have defaulted on treatment from various health facilities.

Under the leadership of the Mayor of eThekwini Municipality, Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda, eThekwini Municipality remains committed to the fight to end AIDS by 2030.