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EXPERT TREATMENT: Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi showing member of parliament Dennis Bloem the equipment in the truck that will visit schools as part of the school health pilot program. National Council of Provinces member Priscilla Themba looks on. Photo: Veli Nhlapo

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Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said this was a clear indication that old men were sleeping with young girls - a statistic he said "destroyed my soul".

AT LEAST 28% of schoolgirls are HIV positive while only 4% of young boys are infected with the virus in the country.

Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said this was a clear indication that old men were sleeping with young girls - a statistic he said "destroyed my soul".

"It is clear that it is not young boys who are sleeping with these girls. It is old men. We must take a stand against sugar daddies because they are destroying our children," Motsoaledi said.

Motsoaledi was speaking at the National Council of Provinces' "taking parliament to the people" event held at Silobela Stadium in Carolina, Mpumalanga, yesterday.

Motsoaledi said 94000 schoolgirls fell pregnant across the country in 2011. "Some [pregnant pupils] are known to the department of education, but there is a number which the education department does not know about.

"[About] 77 000 girls had abortions at public facilities. We can no longer live like that. We want to put an end to it," Motsoaledi said.

He said some pregnant girls - aged between 10 and 14 years of age - tested positive for HIV.

Motsoaledi said of the 52 districts in the country, Gert Sibande district in Mpumalanga topped the list with a high number of HIV-positive people.

"There is also a high number of TB infections ... there is a lot of death and a lot of illness here. It is for this reason that we chose the district to be one of the 11 in the country where the National Health Insurance programme will be piloted."

He said he met with Premier David Mabuza and his cabinet last week to discuss health issues in the province. "There are 50 clinics in the district and eight hospitals. We will demolish two hospitals and build new ones. Some clinics will be refurbished. All this will start in the coming financial year [starting on April 1]," Motsoaledi said.

Also, as from April 1 the department will start giving patients starting anti-retroviral treatment the single-dose combination pill.

The minister said every man in the Gert Sibande district should be circumcised.

Mpumalanga residents asked that clinics operating 12 hours a day should be open all day and night.

They also complained about shortages of medication and ambulances that took too long to arrive in their areas.

Newly appointed MEC for health Candith Mashego said the issues would be attended to. - mashabas@sowetan.co.za

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Comments

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Mon May 20 04:31:46 SAST 2013 ::

Mar 14, 2013

Tjotjela

Maybe thats because girls always go for people older, they hardly date thier age group. They got themselves in that mess

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Mar 14, 2013

Pointman

This can't be correct - otherwise it is an absolute disaster. I hope the minister is wrong or Sowetan made a mistake. 28% of our future mothers are already HIV+???. No doubt some will infect their partners and kids too. Blame Mbeki, Zuma, Peter Mokaba - ANC for sending confused messages to the kids.
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Mar 14, 2013

Tjotjela

@Pointman. DO you blame the ANC that youth is horny 24/7 and young girls prefare suger daddys. you got be kidding me!!!!!
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Mar 14, 2013

Dubul'Amanzi

So government test HIV at schools?That's wrong.
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Mar 14, 2013

MommaC

That is almost one third which means that every third girlchild you walk past is probably HIV+. Beyond shocking!

Time to be harsh with the statutory rape charges?
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Mar 14, 2013

Pointman

Tjotjela
@Pointman. DO you blame the ANC that youth is horny 24/7 and young girls prefare suger daddys. you got be kidding me!!!!!
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Kids will behave the way we socialise them. Mbeki and Mokaba were saying that AIDS is caused by poverty and not HIV - their implied message was you cannot become HIV+ through unprotected sex. Zuma, in spite of having several wives still had unprotected sex with "girlfriends" including an HIV+ person. The ANC NEC did nothing about this madness. All culpable for the HIV situation in the country. Include the NATS too.
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Mar 14, 2013

MGEEZ

All this is the consequences of immorality and being misled by the ruling party!!!
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Mar 14, 2013

clevergirl

bana ba rena r much @risk,onli if dey cud listen 2us,grow up,focus on school,nako e tla fihla dey will be in a position 2make good decisions ka maphelo a bona,ba ba responsible.dats da prys dey have 2pay unfortunatli if dey rush in2 tins.older men wil always take advantage of dem.
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Mar 14, 2013

sibuyim

girls go for sugar daddy
boys removed their skins
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Mar 14, 2013

Chichi7

until gals take pride in opening books rather than legs, these will be the results.
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