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Improving the health of the young people of South Africa- A Tutu Partnership

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA, 21 June, 2011- Today two organisations under the patronage of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, The Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation(DTHF) and the Medical Knowledge Institute (MKI), announced the formation a partnership to improve the health of young people in Masiphumelele, South Africa.

The newly formed partnership between the two organisations will establish an MKI Centre within the newly completed Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation Youth Centre at Masiphumelele. The township is an hour’s drive out of central Cape Town and home to a community of 17,000 people. The DTHF have been working in the area since 1999, research studies indicate that similar to other communities in South Africa, this community struggles with high rates of both HIV and TB. Unemployment and poverty are endemic in the area and prospects for the youth are bleak.

The Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation, focused on cutting edge research in the prevention and treatment of HIV and related infections, is based at the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Cape Town. The foundation has four outreach sites in some of the poorest areas of Cape Town, where HIV prevalence is high.

Dr Harold Robles, founder of the Medical Knowledge Institute in the Netherlands, has enjoyed a close relationship with Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu since the 1980s. The Archbishop became patron of MKI and he has been an enthusiastic supporter of the MKI centres that have been established in the townships of Cape Town and in Johannesburg.

Linda-Gail Bekker, Chief Operating Officer at the DTHF welcomed the partnership and said: “Research has shown that information and knowledge is a key element to prevention for both infected and uninfected individuals. Without basic factual information, young people cannot make informed choices to safeguard themselves. Knowledge is power!”

Central to the purpose of the youth centre is a youth health clinic, staffed by a nurse and counsellor. The clinic provides testing for HIV and related diseases, and advice on sexual and reproductive health. It is in this setting that MKI will make an impact. An MKI trained and funded coordinator will facilitate programmes at the youth centre, incorporating the MKI training programmes into the youth centre curriculum. An MKI library will be available and young people will be encouraged to make healthy life choices.

Other components in the youth centre are facilities for education, training, and personal development. Studies conducted amongst the youth and the wider Masiphumelele community indicate that dance and drama are popular activities, along with computer training, educational support, and the need for a quiet reflective space. The architect’s design has provided spacious rooms for these activities and a peace garden is planned when funds permit.

What makes the DTHF Youth Centre different from other facilities for young people is the DTHF policy that all programmes be rigorously monitored and evaluated to ensure they meet the needs of the young people, and fulfill the primary aim of the Centre - to reduce the incidence of HIV infection and promote the physical, mental and spiritual development of young people living in Masiphumelele and surrounding areas.

The partnership with MKI is a great step forward in achieving this goal.