March 3, 2009

PRESS RELEASE

UWC HIV/AIDS Prevention receives R8-m USAID boost
Minister of Education to speak at launch

The University of the Western Cape (UWC) has reached a new milestone in their partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), with funding from the American President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to target HIV/AIDS prevention in Western Cape schools and at the university itself.

The U.S. Government has committed R8* million (nearly U.S.$800,500) to the project over the next two years.  The Honourable Minister of Education, Naledi Pandor, will be the keynote speaker at a special event on Tuesday, March 3, to honour the American people’s support during her official visit to the University of the Western Cape.

Through its HIV/AIDS programme, UWC will work with its own student population as well as with 15 secondary schools selected from local and rural communities from which many UWC students are drawn.

The project will train 610 young people in varied HIV prevention methods and to reach more than 18 000 youth, teachers, principals, school governing bodies and parents.  The project aims to deal with the challenges of gender stereotypes, sexual norms and substance abuse - all of which fuel HIV risk and transmission to young people.  UWC’s extensive experience gained through collaborative HIV/AIDS projects in sub-Saharan Africa and at the university places UWC in an ideal position to manage this new project.

USAID’s Southern Africa Director, Dr. Carleene Dei, says, “Developing an effective model that motivates and equips people to prevent spreading HIV can be replicated across the continent and save millions of African lives.”  

Date:             TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2009
Venue:          Senate Building Foyer - University of the Western Cape
Time:            11 am

Further information is available from UWC’s Joachim Jacobs:   (021) 959-3091 and (082) 202-3148

* Exchange rate: U.S.$1=about South African Rand 10

 ■ Minister Pandor’s programme at UWC includes a ribbon cutting ceremony at the new east gate University entrance, a visit to the R500 million Life Sciences Building that is nearing completion and a visit to the new School of Public Health building and to Science Labs.