Hundreds of students were recently tested for HIV and screened for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and Tuberculosis (TB) at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University during the promotion of the 2017 First Things First campaign.

Now in its seventh year, First Things First has tested nearly 500 000 students for HIV and screened a similar number for TB and STIs. Speaking at the launch event, deputy minister of Higher Education and Training, Mr Mduduzi Manana welcomed the initiative. “The higher education and training sector is in a unique position to decrease the number of new HIV infections, and to create champions that promote awareness about the pandemic,” said the deputy minister. “The First Things First programme has been extremely effective in this regard. I am pleased to be launching another year of this innovative programme in the Eastern Cape.”

First Things First is an initiative of the Higher Education and Training HIV/AIDS Programme (HEAIDS), mandated by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET). In addition to HIV testing and STI screening, the programme brings counselling and HIV prevention education directly to students on campuses.

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