09 Jun 2013

Okavango sub-district AIDS coordinator, Mr Morongwa Dikgang has confirmed a high number of people affected by Sexually Transmitted Illnesses (STIs) in the area.

Speaking in an interview, Mr Dikgang said 724 patients were treated for STIs from January to March this year, adding that it is a clear sign that people engage in unprotected sex.

He said the most common STIs in the region include vaginal discharge syndrome, genital ulcers and syphilis.

Mr Dikgang, who is a nurse by profession, said some people do not visit health centres for treatment. 

Sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis, he noted, are silent killers.

However, he said that syphilis affects people in stages and can ultimately affect the brain, ardiac and the nervous systems".

On another note, he said they try to fight STIs through programmes such as contact tracing.

“We give a patient who has been treated a contact slip to give to their partners.”

He urged the public to test for STIs before it is too late, adding that people should speak freely about such diseases in order to educate one another.

The assistant district commissioner in the region, Mr Bakani Mathumosaid health clinics have confirmed that a number of students, especially from Shakawe Senior Secondary School, visit clinics in large numbers to be treated for STIs.

He hopes that efforts by the DAC and the District Health Management Team (DHMT) will stabilise the situation .ENDS