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NW Health Department launches Health Month activities.
28 March 2005
Rustenburg - Since 1999, government has dedicated all the calendar month to a particular theme and focus to highlight challenges and raise awareness on the strides made in that sector. To that effect, the month of April was declared Health Focus Month with specific focus on raising awareness on key health programmes, communicable diseases and health promotion. During April we also join the rest of the world in celebrating World Health Day on the 7th with key themes and messages developed jointly with the World Health Organisation.
For this year, the North West Department of Health is embarking on a massive drive to raise awareness amongst our communities on key health challenges confronting a 75% rural province like ours. Lack of access to clean running water, inadequate clinics, bad roads to some of the rural clinics and hospitals, shortage of health professionals and high levels of illiteracy especially drug literacy and understanding of major health promotion information are some of the main challenges confronting the department.
It is against this background that, we have decided to use this year's Health Focus Month to mobilise every stakeholders behind a massage of partnership, Letsema and working together. We are calling upon our private practitioners to join us in this month by among others volunteering their time and energy in assisting in public health facilities. We will be further encouraging our staff to volunteer in assisting units that are experiencing backlogs like hospital's admissions, laundry services, TB sections etc.
Members of the media and in particular health reporters are invited to attend a media launch for the said month planned as followed:
Date: 31 March 2005
Time: 18:00
Venue: Omaramba Resort (Just outside Rustenburg)
Also during the occasion reporters will have a chance to interact with other Provincial health Communicators and National Communicators who will be part of the launch.
For directions and attendance contact:
Ms Bonolo Selloane
Cell: 083 504 3874
Issued by: Department of Health, North West Provincial Government
28 March 2005