Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Friday, 24 June 2016 launch a National HIV Prevention Campaign for Girls and Young Women, at the Royal Agricultural Showgrounds in Pietermaritzburg.

This three-year campaign will focus on HIV infections, unwanted pregnancies, school drop-out, sexual and gender-based violence, unemployment and a shortage of economic opportunities among girls and young women.

The National HIV Prevention Campaign for Girls and Young Women is a multi-sectoral programme which seeks to decrease HIV infections in girls and young women and keep girls in school.

The launch will be attended by youth from different high schools, communities from all sub-districts of Umgungundlovu and representatives from all nine provinces.

Deputy President Ramaphosa, who is Chair of the South African National AIDS Council, will be joined at the launch by the Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, Premiers, MECs for Health and mayors, as well as civil society leaders and representatives of South Africa’s international partners in the fight against HIV, AIDS and TB.

The launch forms part of the build-up to the 21st International Aids Conference, due to take place in Durban from 18 to 22 July 2016.

This will be the second time South Africa hosts the International AIDS Conference. South Africa first hosted this event in the year 2000.

The conference is an opportunity for South Africa to reflect on its journey since the conference of the year 2000 to push back HIV, TB and AIDS in the country, and to explore ways to overcome challenges that remain. 

Media are invited as follows: 
 
Date: Friday, 24 June 2016 
Venue: Royal Agricultural Showgrounds, Pietermaritzburg

Media Programme

09h00:    Awareness Walk from Market Square to the Showgrounds 
10h45:    Deputy President visits stalls and interacts with girls and young women  
11h30:    Formal programme at the Showgrounds
12h55:    Remarks by Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa 
13h05:    Pledges by Ambassadors of the United States, Germany and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria                 
13h20:    Media Doorstops

      
For more information contact Ronnie Mamoepa: 082 990 4853.

Please RSVP with Nthabiseng Rantau-Machiya: 082 570 5503.

For media accreditation, contact:

Ms Ndala Mngadi
GCIS: KwaZulu-Natal
0828779420

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria