Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2008. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Sunday Times (Johannesburg) - July 6, 2008
Claire Keeton
Take an HIV test and you could win R100000. Discovery Health and the Sunday Times today launch the Right to Know competition.
For the next year, one person every month will be R100000 richer after the draw - the only entry requirement is to take an HIV test, with counselling, and collect your results.
Sunday Times editor Mondli Makhanya said: "We and Discovery Health felt it was time to move testing from being the right thing to do, to being the cool and popular thing to do.
"HIV and Aids still exist in the shadows and we want to get it out in the open to a place where all 46 million of us can fight it together, and where those living with the disease can be accorded love and care."
Discovery Health chief executive Neville Koopowitz said they wanted to motivate everyone to take an HIV test.
He proposed incentives to give HIV testing mass appeal after he and members of his team had joined Each One Reach Five, a Sunday Times- initiated HIV-testing campaign.
"Rewards and incentives change behaviour and are a very important element in our overarching strategy in promoting healthier lifestyles," said Koopowitz. "Incentives are a means to an end, and what matters is to get people to test.
"If you know your HIV status, you can do something about it. People get better and lead normal lives on treatment."
To enter the competition, you need to test only once. Fill out the form below, sign it and let your health professional also sign it. Your entry will be valid for the entire competition until July 2009 - which means those who enter the soonest stand the best chance to win.
You do not need to disclose your results and you may test anywhere you choose. You must be 16 years or older to enter and must have a valid ID or passport number. Employees of Discovery Health and the Sunday Times cannot enter.
Koopowitz said Discovery Health supported the NGO Right to Care in its initiative to support doctors in the counselling and testing of patients.
Right to Care managing director Dr Ian Sanne said they were hoping their participation in this initiative would increase access to testing.
"It is in everyone's interest to know their HIV status," he said.
The Southern African HIV Clinicians' Society president, Dr Francois Venter, has endorsed Right to Know as an innovative way to attract people to test. Another supporter is the Treatment Action Campaign's deputy chairman , Teboho Klaas.
He said: "I feel it is a timely and appropriate campaign. It should contribute to the national goal of increasing the number of people who know their status so that they can access health services available."
Vuyiseka Dubula, TAC general secretary, urged anyone going for an HIV test to find out where to get care and support. To achieve this, HIV-911 and the National Aids Helpline are both working as partners on the Right to Know campaign. Anyone without a medical aid is urged to contact these organisations. HIV-911 head Debbie Heustice said: "HIV-911 refers people to more than 7000 HIV- related support services in South Africa.
"For example, we can indicate who provides voluntary counselling and testing services in a particular area. We do not offer counselling ourselves, but we refer people to the National Aids Helpline and other services offering this support," she said.
Lovelife's head of partnerships, Pholokgolo Ramothwala, said: "We want to attract people to test so that fewer people become infected."
Preventing new infections, promoting care and treatment, and destroying the stigma are among the aims of the two Sunday Times HIV campaigns - Each One Reach Five and Everyone Knows Someone.
Makhanya said: "The two campaigns have had great impact, both in terms of raising awareness and keeping the epidemic on the national agenda. This step will pronounce loudly and boldly that the war on Aids is still a top, top, top and urgent priority for us as a nation.
"I know there are some who will be uncomfortable with this approach, but we think everything needs to be thrown at this fight. Many credible organisations and individuals working in this field agree with us on that point and have supported the initiative."
Koopowitz said Discovery Health was expecting members of its medical scheme to raise the concern that their money was being used to fund the competition. "The simple answer to that concern is: 'No, we are not using any money from medical schemes or members' contributions to fund this competition.'"
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