Sunday Times (Johannesburg) - September 2, 2007

But Mathee, winner of the Woman of the Year Award 2007: Health, has also taken time out to throw her weight behind the Each One Reach Five campaign.

She is the director of the Environment and Health Research Unit at the Medical Research Council and director of the World Health Organisation's Collaborating Centre for Urban Health.

Mathee said: "Since Neil [Martinson, an HIV doctor] asked me to join, I have had a much stronger sense of being conscious of the disease. I've thought about how HIV impacts on the country, mostly on the youngest and oldest in society ...

"Preparing for this test has been a productive personal journey for me. It made me think about my priorities."

Mathee said she wanted to do her HIV test at the ZuziMpilo clinic, run by Dr Tinyiko Khosa and Martinson of the Wits Perinatal HIV Research Unit. "I'm a great admirer of this project and wanted an opportunity to see it," she said.

The downtown clinic offers affordable, first-class healthcare for people living with HIV without medical aid.

Mathee said at the clinic this week: "I got excellent service. The staff are obviously well trained and very informed."

Mathee was calm when she had her finger pricked and waited for her HIV result. She said: "In my close circle of family and friends, I have not been affected by HIV/Aids but certainly we have been at work.

"We lost a colleague, who was close to us, and I have been affected in my broader circle of friends. HIV really is a disease that touches everyone's lives."

Mathee said she had also seen adults resurrected from their death beds after taking antiretroviral drugs.

Mathee has a PhD in public health from Wits University as well as a master's in science (environmental epidemiology and policy) from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Her research findings have helped shape policy in South Africa.

Legislation has been drafted to ban lead in paint and since 2006 there has been a cessation of the use of lead in petrol, lowering pollution levels.

Mathee said: "The results of my first study on lead poisoning and school children in Cape Town were alarming ... The group that was most at risk of poisoning were getting the highest exposure."

A random test of lead in residential paint in Johannesburg found a 20% prevalence. Mathee said one girl in Westbury, Johannesburg, had a blood lead level five times higher than international action levels, after eating lead-based paint.

Mathee said that she fell into this line of research more by accident than design, and acknowledged mentors for steering her in the right direction.

She is conducting a study on the health status of five different communities, from high-rise to squatter settlements in Johannesburg. Her unit is also working on the exposure of newborn babies to toxic substances.

# Her five volunteers are her colleagues Rochelle Spadoni, Miriam Mogolsi and Brendan Barnes, his wife Ingrid Palmary and her friend Carole Fortuin.

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How to join the campaign

Take an HIV test and get five other people to do the same. Make it clear that no one has to disclose their results.

Let us know why you decided to join the campaign and how you felt when you took the test. We would welcome any stories about the experiences you have while participating in the campaign. Send your stories - with pictures if possible - to: reach5@sundaytimes.co.za

Send us your name and the names of your five nominees so that we can publish a list of South Africans who have taken part. Please note, we do not want to know the results of anyone's test.

You can get tested at your doctor or at your local clinic. For a list of clinics go to www.sundaytimes.co.za/vct

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