Unisa KZN Region partners with TB/HIV Care for the Dreams programme

The Unisa KwaZulu-Natal Region, in partnership with TB/HIV Care, recently launched the Dreams programme in Durban.

Unisa KwaZulu-Natal regional management, regional organising committee members, partners, student leadership and external stakeholders

TB/HIV Care is a non-profit organisation dedicated to and responding to TB, HIV and other significant diseases. The Dreams programme will focus on adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) to ensure that they are empowered and mentored. The organisation requested a partnership with the Unisa KwaZulu-Natal Regional office to provide HIV prevention programmes and healthcare intervention packages to staff members and students. The services they offer at the Durban Region Hub will include behaviour change programmes, psychosocial services and activities to promote economic strengthening.

The organisation brings healthcare services into homes, workplaces and public spaces by forging links between health facilities and their community. The organisation focuses on building public health capacity through direct service delivery and providing technical assistance to the Department of Health at the national, provincial and local levels.

The programme aims to reduce HIV infections and teen pregnancies, prevent gender-based violence (GBV), encourage school attendance, and provide AGYW with the tools to improve their economic status through economic strengthening activities like training and leadership.

TB/HIV Care and the Department of Health will provide the following services weekly, onsite, at the Durban Regional Hub:

• Optometric services (eye screening)

• Voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC)

• HIV testing service (HTS)

• PrEP & ART initiations

• Cervical cancer screening (pap smears)

• Psychosocial services

• Minor alignments treatment

*By Jo Cossavella, Communications Officer, KwaZulu-Natal Region